Self-(in)compatibility and fruit set in 19 local Moroccan apricot (<i>Prunus armeniaca</i>L.) genotypes

SummarySelf-compatibility and fruit set were assessed in 19 local apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) genotypes identified in four different oasis ecosystems in southern Morocco. Observations on pollen tube growth, as well as examinations of the fruit-set percentages obtained after self-pollination in the field, established the compatibility of their pollen. Fourteen genotypes from different geographical origins were self-compatible, with fruit set percentages ranging from 14.8 – 42.2%, whereas five were self-incompatible, with no fruit set. Consequently, almost all the local apricot genotypes propagated by seed in oasis ecosystems in southern Morocco proved to be self-compatible. In addition, the fruit-set percentages after open-pollination showed high variability among genotypes from the same oasis, among locations, and in the 2 years of study, with medium-to-high fruit set percentages for all genotypes, ranging from 11.9 – 30.1%. Self-compatibility has therefore been identified for the first time, not only in Moroccan apricot genotypes, but also in the North African Prunus gene pool.