Citrus > Cold Hardy Citrus
Tetraploid Satsuma
Skandiberg:
Hi all and Happy Holidays,
I accidentally ran into an article that I found interesting:
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/12/2441
A tetraploid seedling of Ishizuka Wase was found, then they grew it to fruiting stage and began to evaluate it. On paper, tetraploid should mean more vigor, bigger leaves etc. and most importantly, better hardiness. And this one has fairly fertile pollen which is not common among Satsumas. So I wrote to them and asked them about this plant. I had never heard of Ishizuka Wase before. Much to my surprise, I got a reply this morning:
'・About cold resistance
We have not conducted detailed tests on the cold resistance of this tetraploid, so we cannot answer your question about its cold resistance.
When observing the cultivation of this tetraploid in the field, it grows a little more vigorously than diploids.
As the climate warms, the cultivation area of Satsuma mandarin is moving further and further north in Japan (southern Tohoku region of Japan, latitude about 38°C).
I believe that the tetraploid has the same or even better ability.
Moreover, the quality of the tetraploid is inferior to that of the diploid.
・About ‘Ishizuka Wase’
'Ishizuka Wase' is a bud mutation of 'Okitsu Wase' and is a fairly minor variety.
'Ishizuka Wase' ripens a little earlier than the major Satsuma mandarin varieties 'Miyagawa Wase' and 'Okitsu Wase'.
There is no significant difference in fruit quality between these varieties.
・About breeding
We are not conducting any research other than the crossbreeding experiments presented in the paper. Research has been halted due to various circumstances at our laboratory (cultivation space, costs, etc.).'
Why they didn't test its hardiness is beyond me. But the overly viable pollen is a standout feature. I will write back to them. I hope that plant is still alive. I wonder what has become of its crosses they made. Not that we have any reason to believe this tetraploid Satsuma will ever get to Europe. ☹️
Ilya11:
If they were kind enough to take the trouble to answer you, why not to ask for polyembryonic seeds of this tetraploid arising from crosspollinating?
"Moreover, seeds of the tetraploid Satsuma mandarin were polyembryonic."
Skandiberg:
Exactly! I will report if I get any further positive answers.
Skandiberg:
Well, they didn't react to my seed request, instead they kindly recommended doing it myself. I did a quick search and much to my surprise, I found a pill available to the public that contains colchicine so I think I will give it a try next year on early Satsuma seeds, if I find any.
But they attached two documents on the process and at least they took the effort to reply. This is a lot further than I got with Chinese universities who just don't give a damn.
Ilya11:
If you germinate enough seeds of satsuma, there is quite a big chance to get a spontaneous tetraploid.
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