Abstract:【Objective】Determination of the inheritance pattern of fruit-related traits in the cross progeny population with HB Pomelo as the female parent and Huagan NO.4 as the male parent, to provide a theoretical basis for the selection of parents for cross breeding.【Methods】A total of 53 live trees of hybrid progeny with stable fruit set were selected. From the middle and lower parts of each tree, 9-10 mature fruits without obvious mechanical damage were selected and mixed into one sample. The trait indexes, including single fruit mass, longitudinal diameter, transverse diameter, peel thickness, total soluble solid, titratable acid, and so forth, were then measured. Three biological replicates were determined for each index. The mean, standard deviation, skewness, coefficient of variation, genetic transmission, and other parameters of these data were calculated to assess the genetic variation characteristics of the hybrid population. In this study, the experimental data were processed statistically and graphically using Excel 2016 software, among others.【Results】The hybrid offspring resulting from the cross between HB Pomelo and Huagan No.4 exhibit a diverse range of fruit shapes, primarily including high flat round, round or nearly round, and oval shapes. Additionally, they display a variety of skin and flesh colors, with orange and yellow being the most common. The majority of the hybrid progeny mature later than their parents, with the majority reaching maturity in January and February. This suggests that there is a polygenic control of maturity, with a tendency towards later ripening. Statistical analysis of fruit mass and fruit shape traits in the cross between HB Pomelo and Huagan No.4 revealed distinct distribution patterns. Specifically, the transverse diameter and juicing rate followed a normal distribution. On the other hand, the single fruit mass, longitudinal diameter, peel thickness, total soluble solid, solid acid ratio, and vitamin C exhibited a right-skewed distribution. Furthermore, the fruit shape index, seed number, edible rate, and titratable acid showed a left-skewed distribution. The analysis of the hybrid offspring resulting from the cross between HB Pomelo and Huagan No.4 demonstrated significant phenotypic variation in various fruit traits. This can be summarized as follows: the single fruit mass exhibited the highest coefficient of variation (33.15%), indicating a wide range of fruit mass among the offspring. The longitudinal diameter showed a moderate coefficient of variation and a heritability of 79.42%, suggesting a genetic control with some environmental influence. Similarly, the transverse diameter also displayed a moderate coefficient of variation and a heritability of 84.93%, indicating a strong genetic influence. Fruit The fruit shape index had the lowest coefficient of variation (9.20%) and the highest heritability (96.97%), pointing towards indicating that it is a highly heritable and consistent trait. Peel thickness exhibited a high coefficient of variation (27.03%) and a heritability of 71.54%, indicating suggesting that there is considerable variation and moderate genetic control. Seed number showed a heritability of 81.86%, suggesting indicating that fruit trait the number of seeds is largely determined by genetics. Edible The edible rate had the lowest coefficient of variation (11.44%) among the second set of traits and a heritability of 92.45%, indicating suggesting that it is a stable and heritable trait. Juicing The juicing rate displayed a high heritability (94.60%) and a tendency towards lower values in the progeny, with a high rate of low parent-offspring similarity. Total soluble solid had the lowest coefficient of variation (9.26%) among the flavor traits and a heritability of 87.36%, suggesting that it is a stable trait with a strong genetic influence. Titratable acid showed a high heritability (158.97%) and a tendency to exceed parental values, indicating a super-parental genetic trend. Fruit The fruit shape index had the lowest coefficient of variation (9.20%) and the highest heritability (96.97%), pointing towards indicating that it is a highly heritable and consistent trait. Peel thickness exhibited a high coefficient of variation (27.03%) and a heritability of 71.54%, indicating that there is considerable variation and moderate genetic control. Seed number showed a heritability of 81.86%, suggesting that the number of seeds is largely determined by genetics. Edible The edible rate had the lowest coefficient of variation (11.44%) among the second set of traits and a heritability of 92.45%, indicating that it is a stable and heritable trait. Juicing rate: dis-played The juicing rate displayed a high heritability (94.60%) and a tendency towards lower values in the progeny, with a high rate of low parent-offspring similarity. Total soluble solid had the lowest coefficient of variation (9.26%) among the flavor traits and a heritability of 87.36%, suggesting that it is a stable trait with a strong genetic influence. Titratable acid showed a high heritability (158.97%) and a tendency to exceed parental values, indicating a super-parental genetic trend. Vitamin C exhibited a heritability of 105.73% and a tendency to be higher than the mid-parent value, also suggesting a super-parental genetic trend. Soluble The soluble solid ratio had the highest coefficient of variation (32.87%) and a heritability of 57.80%, indicating that it is a complex trait with a genetic tendency towards lower values.【Conclusion】The present study undertook a comprehensive assessment of several key traits in the fruits of the cross progeny between HB Pomelo and Huagan NO.4. In particular, the maturity, single fruit mass, fruit shape, seed number , edible rate, total soluble solid, and titratable acid content were evaluated. The findings of this study revealed that the fruit quality of the cross progeny exhibited substantial genetic variation, indicating that these traits are likely quantitative and influenced by multiple genes. This research not only enhances our understanding of the genetic patterns in citrus hybrid progeny but also provides essential data for the selection of parental lines in future citrus breeding programmes. The insights gained from this study are anticipated to aid in the development of new citrus varieties with superior quality traits, thereby advancing the field of citrus breeding.
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