Heritability of heat requirement for blooming and leafing was investigated in peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch], using artificially chilled excised shoots of 11 populations and 16 parental clones of low, intermediate and high heat requirement. The estimated values of broad sense heritability of heat requirement in flower buds were 45% and 57%, in 1999 and 2000, respectively. In leaf buds, the heritability was 30% in 1999. 'BR-1', 'Barbosa', 'Chula', 'Chinoca', and 'Eldorado' can transmit the heat requirement character better to offspring than the others studied genotypes. The data support a model for quantitative inheritance with partial dominance for low heat requirement. Seedling selection for high heat requirement delay blooming more than leafing.
Prunus persica; ecodormancy; breeding; adaptation; growing degree/hours
