<i>S</i>‐genotyping of Eastern European almond cultivars: identification and characterization of new (<i>S</i>₃₆–<i>S</i>₃₉) <i>self‐incompatibility ribonuclease</i> alleles

With 3 figures and 2 tables Abstract Consensus polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers amplifying the first and second intron regions of the S‐RNase gene and DNA sequencing as well as fruit set analysis after controlled pollinations were used for S ‐genotyping of Eastern European almond cultivars. Complete S ‐genotypes have been proposed for 19 accessions, and partial S ‐genotypes have been proposed for three additional accessions. Based on DNA sequences and fruit set analysis, two novel cross‐incompatibility groups have been proposed: group XXI ( S 11 S 31H ) including ‘Szigetcsépi 55’ (3/9) and ‘Eriane’ and group XXII ( S 36 S 37 ) for ‘Nikitskyi’ and ‘Óriás kagyló’ (4/4). Four new alleles were identified, S 36 ( FJ529211 ), S 37 ( FJ529212 ), S 38 ( FJ529213 ) and S 39 ( FJ529214 ). The combination of consensus PCR primers amplifying the first and second intron regions could reliably discriminate the S‐RNase alleles identified in this study from those described previously. Our results supply long‐awaited information on almond S ‐allele diversity from regions between the main cultivation centres and the centre of origin of this species.