Determination of incompatibility (S) genotypes of sweet cherries in the Hungarian gene-bank by a PCR-based method

The sweet cherry ( Prunus avium L.) gene-bank collection in Hungary comprises mainly local cultivars. The incompatibility ( S ) genotypes of 48 accessions from the central region of Hungary were investigated by PCR amplification of the intron regions of the SRNase and SFB genes responsible for compatibility relationships in sweet cherry. The S genotypes of 38 accessions were completely determined; they showed various pairs of nine alleles and could be assigned to 15 of the existing incompatibility groups or, in the case of three accessions having the novel genotype S 6 S 13 , to the new incompatibility group XLII. For 10 accessions only one S -allele could be identified, as a single S -RNase product was generated and the intron region of the SFB gene of the second allele could not be amplified.