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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] persimmon fertilization & chestnuts

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  • From: Jwlehman@aol.com
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] persimmon fertilization & chestnuts
  • Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2007 23:12:26 EDT

In a message dated 6/9/2007 10:51:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time, ehills7408@wowway.com writes:


I wish I could remember where I read it, but I recall reading that
persimmons can be tricked into believing they have been pollenated by
chestnut pollen.

Why? I don't recall the original source mentioning a reason
.


Here is the story:

Prof. Meader was breeding persimmons. He released the Meader persimmon that was seedless in his breeding orchard. He sent wood to Jim Claypool that he could test and compare it with the many varieties he had in his persimmon orchard. But when it came into bearing at St. Elmo IL it wasn't seedless, it was fully seeded. So to test if it was seedless in the absence of 90 chromosome persimmon pollen Jim bagged flowers. The bagged flowers bore no fruit. He then reported his findings to Prof. Meader who then bagged flowers on his original Meader tree with the same results, no fruit. Meader didn't have 90 C persimmon males. So what was triggering fruit? He did have chestnut trees shedding pollen at the same time and guessed that may have been the mechanism.

To my knowledge, that was never proven. What should be done is for someone who has chestnut trees and the Meader persimmon to bag some flowers. Then apply chestnut pollen to those flowers and see if those flowers bear.

By the way, Meader persimmon here overbears fully seeded fruit. This overbearing results in small fruit. Bottom line is it isn't better here than the average wild persimmon in Terre Haute, IN.        

Jerry Lehman



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  • Re: [NAFEX] persimmon fertilization & chestnuts, Jwlehman, 06/10/2007

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