Inheritance of foliage characteristics in (Annona cherimola Mill. x A. squamosa L.) x A. reticulata L. hybrids

Atemoya (Annona cherimola Mill. x A. squamosa L) and A. reticulata L. possess several contrasting foliage characteristics. Two hundred and fifty trispecies hybrids of atemoya and A. reticulata were therefore studied to investigate the inheritance of four foliage characteristics. Segregation for leaf colour (green or dark green), leaf angle (erect or drooping), leaf apex shape (rounded or pointed) and time of leaf fall (early or late or intermediate) into discreet phenotypic classes revealed that their inheritance followed simple Mendelian genetics. Based on phenotypes of parents and the segregating population, and the genetic ratios obtained, allelic symbols were assigned to four leaf characteristics. Duplicate dominant gene interaction governed the leaf colour and leaf position. Thus individuals with single or both the dominant genes (A-B-, A-bb, aaB-) produce green colour leaves and those with recessive genes (aabb) dark colour leaves. Likewise erect leaf individuals are C-D-, C-dd, ccD- and those with drooping leaves are ccdd. Further a single gene determined shape of leaf apex that was either rounded (Rr) or pointed (rr). Segregation of progenies for leaf fall into early (J (E) J (E) ), intermediate (J (E) J (L) ) and late (J (L) J (L) ) suggested that codominant alleles were responsible for time of leaf fall. The inheritance studies reported in this paper should guide in Annonaceous fruit breeding for foliage characteristics or could be used as selection criteria for those important traits with which they are associated.