Improving new citrus varieties and rootstocks by classical and biotechnological breedind methods

In this study, mutation and hybridization studies were carried out by classical and biotechnological methods in order to meet the demands for citrus industry in our country. New variety and rootstock populations were developed by mutations and hybridizations. By using the 60Co gama ray as a physical mutagen, 363 and 852 M1V3 seedlings were obtained from Hernandina and Ortanique varieties, respectively and population consists of 1215 individuals were planted on the field. In addition, chemical mutation applications were carried out in Klemantin 22D mandarin, W.Murcott mandarin, Moro blood orange varieties and tetraploid forms of these genotypes were recovered by applying colchicine treatments at different concentration levels and treatment time to budwoods and shoots. On the other hand, both traditional and somatic hybridization methods have been used in order to develop new citrus rootstocks tolerant or resistant to high calcareous soils, CTV and Phytophthora citrophthora. For this purpose, six hybridization combinations were carried out using 10 genotypes belonging in Poncirus and Citrus genera. As a result, 736 plants obtained by hybridizations and 273 of them were identified as rootstock hybrids by morphological and molecular markers. In addition, four plants were regenerated from somatic hybridizations in three combinations, but these plants were not determined as allotetraploid somatic hybrids by ploidy analysis by flow cytometry.