2025/12/29 by Karen C.B.S. Santos, Blake M. Dawson, Lachlan Jones +3 · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Plant Physiology and Cultivation Studies #Plant Reproductive Biology #Plant and animal studies
paper · doi:10.1016/j.baae.2025.12.015
openalex publication_date 2025/12/29 · openalex created_date 2025/12/30 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/06
• Pollen donor identity strongly affected fruit set, fruit weight, and seed quality • Kanzi performed best for Pink Lady, different pollinisers were similarly effective for Royal Gala • Not all compatible cultivars are equally effective as pollenisers in orchards • High seed set does not always result in heavier fruit in apple pollination • Results support data-driven polliniser selection in commercial apple orchards Animal-mediated pollination in cross-compatible crops depends not only on pollinator activity but also on the compatibility and performance of pollen donors. Such intraspecific interactions can influence reproductive success through xenia effects, yet empirical evidence from field studies remains limited. We tested how pollen donor identity affects fruit set, fruit weight, and seed quality in two major apple cultivars ( Malus domestica ), Pink Lady and Royal Gala, using controlled hand-pollination experiments in commercial orchards in Stanthorpe, Australia. Each cultivar was pollinated with multiple donor cultivars alongside self-pollination, spontaneous selfing, emasculation, and open pollination controls. Donor identity significantly affected all reproductive outcomes. In Pink Lady, Kanzi pollen produced the highest fruit set, heaviest fruit, and greatest proportion of well-formed seeds, while in Royal Gala, Red Delicious, Pink Lady and Granny Smith donors performed best. Patterns of reproductive success generally aligned with S-allele compatibility. Pollinisers that did not share S-alleles with the recipient (e.g., Kanzi for Pink Lady, Red Delicious or Granny Smith for Royal Gala) yielded higher fruit set and/or fruit weight, whereas some partially compatible pairs produced smaller fruit or lower seed quality. Notably, high proportion of fruit set or high seed set did not always translate into larger fruit, indicating a decoupling of fertilisation and fruit growth responses. These findings demonstrate that not all compatible (or partially compatible) cultivars are equally effective pollinisers, and selecting high-performing pollen donors and ensuring flowering synchrony can enhance productivity and fruit quality in apple orchards. Pollen donor identity may be an overlooked driver of yield and quality in apple production, with implications for the ecological understanding of conspecific pollen transfer and the applied optimisation of cultivar combinations in orchards. Policies and extension services should support growers in revisiting polliniser choices based on field performance rather than relying solely on historical compatibility charts.