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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Byron, Georgia » Fruit and Tree Nut Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #159591
Title: EVIDENCE FOR QUALITATIVE SUPPRESSION OF RED SKIN COLOR IN PEACH

Author
item Beckman, Thomas
item RODRIGUEZ, ALCAZAR - MONTECILLO, MEXICO
item SHERMAN, W - UNIV OF FLORIDA
item WERNER, D - NC STATE UNIV

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/11/2004
Publication Date: 6/1/2005
Citation: Beckman, T.G., Rodriguez, A.J., Sherman, W.B., Werner, D.J. 2005. Evidence for qualitative suppression of red skin color in peach. Hortscience. 40(3):523-524.

Interpretive Summary: Red skin color is a desirable trait contributing to the attractiveness of a peach. Hence, high levels of red blush are sought in most breeding programs developing cultivars for the fresh market. In contrast, most breeding programs developing cultivars for the canning industry generally place a premium on reduced red coloration in any part of the fruit because of the possibility of staining in the processed product. Most reports have concluded that red skin color was under the control of multiple genes. We developed information indicating that some peach germplasm contains a gene that suppresses all red color development in the fruit and flesh. Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that this is single gene recessive trait. Materials has been identified in which this trait appears to be homozygous and others in which it appears to be heterozygous. The gene symbols of h and H for the recessive anthocyanin suppression ('highlighter') and dominant partial red (wild-type) alleles, respectively have been proposed. This trait should prove useful in breeding processing type peaches as red skin color development is completely suppressed even at full maturity.

Technical Abstract: Recently observed hybrid populations of peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] provide evidence for the presence of a single gene suppressing red skin color. The fruit of seedling populations of FL90-48C and FL90-37C x FL84-18C, FL90-50CN x FL92-2C, FL90-48C x FL91-12, FLK91-8, x FL88-6, and open pollinated populations from unselected seedlings of 'Contender' x PI65977 and 'Mexico Selection' x 'Oro A' were rated for normal quantitative vs. no anthocyanin skin color at maturity. At this stage of development, anthocyaninless phenotypes displayed no red color over the entire surface of the fruit. Instead they were characterized by a bright yellow ground color that stood out visually in the seedling rows, and which was dubbed 'highlighter'. Two crosses with FL84-18C yielded populations displaying a 1:1 segregation ratio for quantitative red:no red skin color and all other crosses produced populations that closely approximated a 3:1 segregation ratio for quantitative red:no red when adjusted for outcrossing events. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that the 'highlighter' phenotype is a single gene recessive trait. We propose the gene symbols of h and H for the recessive no red ('highlighter') and dominant normal quantitative red (wild-type) alleles, respectively.