Ensayos de cruzamientos sobre Opuntia spp en Italia.

Opuntia genetic variability trials were carried out in Sardinia (Italy) starting from 1995. In order to overcome the difficulties related to the cleistogamy and the poliembryony of the genus, a breeding strategy was planned based on setting up a hybridization technique and plantlet development through embryoculture. About one thousand hybrids were obtained by crossing O. ficus–indica Italian varieties, and other Opuntia species (O. amyclaea, O. basilaris, O. dillenii, O. lindheimeri, O. polyacantha, O. soherensii, and O. sulfurea). The effectiveness of the breeding tecniques was evaluated and the results on the level of compatibility in the different crosses and hybrids fertility are reported.