Crossability Between Wild (Malus sylvestris) and Cultivated (M. x domestica) Apples

Malus sylvestris, a native fruit tree of Europe, is believed to be threatened by hybridization with the omnipresent cultivated apple (Malus x domestica). In the present study a series of controlled crossings were carried out in order to establish whether M. sylvestris can hybridize with its near relative, M. x domestica. By looking at fruit set, seed production, germination percentages, and development of seedlings following inter- and intraspecific crossings, no indication of neither pre- nor postzygotic barriers to hybridization between the two species was found. This can have important implications for management of the genetic resources of M. sylvestris.