Use of a gene marker to study the mode of pollination in pomegranate(Púnica granatumL.)

A monogenic marker (designated ‘R’) is reported in pomegranate. Cultivar ‘Ganesh’ was found to carry the dominant allele and ‘Kabul Yellow’ its recessive alternate. The dominant gene produced red, and the recessive one yellow pigmentation in the petiole base, leaf margin, flower bud and fruit rind. The gene can conveniently be employed to estimate the extent of natural cross pollination since it enables one to distinguish visually the heterozygous and homozygous recessive progenies at the seedling stage. Employing this gene 13% cross pollination was observed with cv. Kabul Yellow. The techniques adopted by earlier workers for studying modes of pollination in pomegranate are reviewed, and their drawbacks pointed out.