Summary
A study of the geographical distribution of two species of okra, Abelmoschus esculentus and A. caillei, shows that both are cultivated in almost all villages from the Gulf of Guinea to the southern limit of the Sahel. If the cultivars of both species, collected in the same village, are sown simultaneously, as often is the case, study of flowering reveals the possibility of interspecific pollination during about 7 weeks to 2 months. Interspecific hybrids can be obtained artificially, but at experimental stations and in the field very low rates of cross fertilization are observed. In addition, the sterility of the F1 hybrids makes their genetic participation in subsequent generations unlikely. In this study, we show that: 1) although grown for the same purpose, the two species are clearly managed as two separate crops by local growers; 2) the conditions which allow gene flow between both crops exist, and 3) the rate of spontaneous introgressions is low. The genetic integrity of the two species does not, therefore, seem threatened and the relative balance between them is mainly tied to the choice of the growers.
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Hamon, S., Hamon, P. Future prospects of the genetic integrity of two species of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus and A. caillei) cultivated in West Africa. Euphytica 58, 101–111 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00022810
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00022810