Proceedings of the XLVII Italian Society of Agricultural Genetics - SIGA Annual Congress

Verona, Italy - 24/27 September, 2003

ISBN 88-900622-4-X

Poster Abstract - 2.19

CROSS-HYBRIDISATION WITHIN THE GENUS OLEA: FIRST ATTEMPTS TO OBTAIN INTERSPECIFIC HYBRIDS

M. E. CACERES, P. LABOMBARDA, P. POLLACCI, M. MENCUCCINI, G. FONTANAZZA

Istituto per i Sistemi Agricoli e Forestali del Mediterraneo, Sezione di Olivicoltura – CNR - Perugia, Via Madonna Alta 128, 06128 Perugia

m.e.caceres@iro.pg.cnr.it

Olea europaea, inter-specific cross, AFLP

A series of interspecific crosses has been undertaken between different species of the genus Olea in the perspective to incorporate in the hybrids, traits related to biotic resistance. Three parental lines were included in this study: Olea europea (Var. Leccino), Olea cuspidata (origin: Pakistan) and Olea africana (origin South Africa). Viable fruits were obtained in the cross O.africana X O.cuspidata only. Embryos were dissected from mature fruits, sterilised with 10% sodium hypochlorite, rinsed with abundant sterile water and allowed to germinate in vitro. The embryo culture was performed in test tubes containing agar-solidified EZ medium and incubated in a growth chamber with fluorescent light. Embryos derived from open pollination of O.africana were also cultured in the same conditions as control yielding 11 independent genotypes. Out of the 4 viable hybrid seeds, 2 yielded dead embryos, one did not germinate and the other one developed into a viable seedling. To verify the hybrid nature of this seedling, AFLP markers were used to investigate the transmission of paternal alleles into the genome of the putative hybrids. Using a total of 24 primer combinations it was possible to detect 7 AFLPs specific of the pollinating parent that were present in the seedling’s genome thus confirming its hybrid nature.