Incompatibility reactions and genotypic identity status of five commercial chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) hybrids

Incompatibility reactions of chicory plants cv. Flash, cv. Carolus, cv. Pax, cv, Focus and cv. Sigma were determined. Different levels of incompatibility were found, The cv. Carolus was highly self-incompatible, cv. Flash and cv, Pax could be self-compatible or self-incompatible and the cv. Sigma and cv. Focus are self-compatible. All the tested cultivars were intra-compatible (pollinations within the same cultivar) and cross-compatible among them. There was difference in percentage of viable seeds when cultivars were self-pollinated and intra-pollinated. This difference in percentages of viable seeds can be used as a numerical criterion to determine genotypic identity of a cultivar. The higher this difference value, the less uniform the behaviour of the cultivars in the field and during hydroponic forcing for production of the chicory head was observed. The results led to the conclusion that some of the commercial cultivars are not genotypic identical which has unfavorable implications in Belgian endive production and commercialization. There was equal reaction to incompatibility in any sense of crossing (plants used as females compared with the result when plants were used as males in cross-pollinations). (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.