RECENT ADVANCES ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL CHALLENGES IN APRICOT GROWING

Several biochemical and biological methods are available for assessment of environment adaptability in apricot and, also, molecular-based approaches recently proposed for peach could possibly be applied to apricot. The tolerance to low temperatures is a complex process depending on a genetic control that interacts with physiological and environmental factors. While cold-responsive, regulating genes with specific functions have been found in other species, insufficient knowledge is available in apricot. Assessment of floral compatibility is a lengthy procedure and, although it could be assisted by reliable in vitro techniques, field validation is often hampered by yearly climatic fluctuation. Recent findings on genes regulating self-(in)compatibility will allow the development of PCR primers for marker-assisted selection. Several rootstocks with a satisfactory degree of adaptability to specific soils/ environments are available, even if graft compatibility could limit their commercial introduction. Histological, biochemical and molecular tools are available for early in vitro screening of graft compatibility.