The present study investigates the genetic determinism of flowering and maturity dates, two traits highly affected by global climate change. Flowering and maturity dates were evaluated on five progenies from three Prunus species, peach, apricot and sweet cherry, during 3-8 years. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) detection was performed separately for each year and also by integrating data from all years together. High heritability estimates were obtained for flowering and maturity dates. Several QTLs for flowering and maturity dates were highly stable, detected each year of evaluation, suggesting that they were not affected by climatic variations. For flowering date, major QTLs were detected on linkage groups (LG) 4 for apricot and sweet cherry and on LG6 for peach. QTLs were identified on LG2, LG3, LG4 and LG7 for the three species. For maturity date, a major QTL was detected on LG4 in the three species. Using the peach genome sequence data, candidate genes underlying the major QTLs on LG4 and LG6 were investigated and key genes were identified. Our results provide a basis for the identification of genes involved in flowering and maturity dates that could be used to develop cultivar ideotypes adapted to future climatic conditions. Heredity (2012) 109, 280-292; doi:10.1038/hdy.2012.38; published online 25 July 2012Keywords: Prunus; phenology; flowering date; maturity date; QTL analyses; candidate gene INTRODUCTIONIn the context of global climate change, flowering phenology of deciduous tree species is crucial as it may affect their productivity. In fruit tree orchards, flowering phenology has an indirect influence on spring frost damage, pollination, dormancy and maturity. Even though in a warming scenario, the current risk of frost damage might remain a preoccupation for growers subsequently to advanced flowering time and more irregularities of temperature conditions. Moreover, new risks are emerging as disruptions in floral phenology synchronization, which may disturb pollination for varieties that necessitate cross pollination. In addition, marked changes in the order of flowering time within a varietal range or between adjacent cropping areas may modify the orders of fruit maturity time and consequently disturb commercial specificities.The Prunus genus, within the Rosaceae family, is characterized by species that produce drupes as fruit, and can be divided into three major subgenera: Amygdalus (peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) and almond (Prunus dulcis Mill.)), Prunophora (apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.)), Cerasus (sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) and sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.)). All these species are grown in climates with well-differentiated seasons where they have adapted to survive to low winter temperatures and summer drought. In Prunus, as in most woody perennials, the physiology and biochemistry of the flowering
On clearing fields, Ntumu farmers in southern Cameroon leave some large trees. The seed rain beneath 30 such remnant trees (12 species) was compared with that 10 m away from the edges of their crowns. Of a total of 39 765 seeds recorded in 90 seed traps over 2 y, 73.6% were of species different from the tree associated with each set of traps (‘foreign seed rain’). Seed rain included 100 morphospecies, two-thirds of which possessed endozoochorous seeds. Seeds of the pioneer tree Musanga cecropioides accounted for 71.4% of total foreign seed rain; seeds of this and other animal-dispersed species accounted for 94.5% of the total. Seed rain was 25 times higher beneath remnant trees than 10 m away. Mean species richness of monthly seed rain was three times higher beneath remnant trees than 10 m away. Both fleshy-fruited and wind-dispersed species of remnant trees attracted seed-dispersing animals which greatly enhanced the seed rain; attraction thus did not depend solely on presence of fleshy fruits. Seed rain was lower when human activity in fields was intense and increased during the period of growth of the last crops, which were not usually weeded. Heavy seed rain just before fallow may contribute significantly to regeneration, as does the presence of remnant trees.
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