Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Poplarville, Mississippi » Southern Horticultural Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #209284
Title: Breeding Intra and Inter Specific Cornus Species

Author
item WADL, PHILLIP - UNIV OF TENN
item SKINNER, JOHN - UNIV OF TENN
item WANG, XINGWANG - UNIV OF TENN
item Rinehart, Timothy - Tim
item Reed, Sandra
item PANTALONE, VINCE - UNIV OF TENN
item WINDHAM, MARK - UNIV OF TENN
item TRIGIANO, MARK - UNIV OF TENN

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2007
Publication Date: 7/1/2007
Citation: Wadl, P., Skinner, J., Wang, X., Rinehart, T.A., Reed, S.M., Pantalone, V., Windham, M.T., Trigiano, M. 2007. Breeding Intra and Inter Specific Cornus Species. Hortscience. pp. 919-1022.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida L.) and kousa dogwood (C. kousa Hance.) are popular species of dogwood used in the ornamental industry. Both trees are valued for their beautiful floral display and their four season appeal. Dogwood anthracnose and powdery mildew have severely impacted the popularity of flowering dogwood. Many cultivars of the kousa dogwood have natural resistance both diseases. Intra- and inter-specific cultivars allow the combination of disease resistance with specific ornamental traits. Development of improved cultivars requires controlled crosses that are usually made manually, has high time requirements and is often unsuccessful. The inflorescence of flowering and kousa dogwood consists of 20-30 flowers that are self-incompatible. This self-incompatibility allows the breeding process to proceed without having to emasculate flowers. We have coupled the self-incompatibility of dogwood with the natural ability of honey bees to perform controlled pollinations of flowering and kousa dogwood. By using a feeding pheromone and sugar solution to attract honey bees to the flowers, a non-traditional breeding approach is being used to create intra- and inter-specific hybrids that have resistance to both disease as well as horticultural traits. Self and cross pollinations of C. florida cultivars Appalachian Spring and Cherokee Brave and C. kousa cultivars Blue Shadow and Galilean were conducted in spring 2006. All inflorescences (n=526) self pollinated produced no seed. For intra- and inter-specific crosses, 1041 inflorescences were pollinated resulting in the production 406 seeds and 154 seedlings.