Recent Advances in the Study of Apomixis in Juglandaceae

Walnut, Juglans regia L. is the most economically important member of the Juglandaceae family and is the most valuable nut crop in the world. Recently, it has increased greatly in acreage and in production. Although a number of research programs about plant apomixis have been carried out around the world, few were representd by the Juglandaceae. This paper presents a brief review of the current status of knowledge in Juglandaceae plant apomixis research, especially in walnut, including chemicals induction, bagged isolation, observation of embryology, analysis of isoenzymes, physiological and biochemical characteristics of apomictic seedlings. We further introduce a strain which may be an obligate apomictic walnut, and discuss the problems associated with and the developmental prospects and progress in this field. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________