Breeding System and Reproductive Success of Thryptomene calycina (Myrtaceae)

1993 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 333 ◽  
Author(s):  
DV Beardsell ◽  
RB Knox ◽  
EG Williams

Thryptomene calycina (Lindl.) Stapf is a small bush with a long flowering period in winter. Hundreds of small flowers open at one time. Its breeding system is highly self-incompatible, with an index of Self-Incompatibility of 0 - 0.1. The site of arrest of self-incompatible tubes is near the micropyle. In wild populations the natural seed set varies between 9 and 13%. Pollination is not a factor limiting seed set in these flowers since every stigma examined from wild populations carried some germinated pollen grains. The low level of seed production is because most pollinations are probably ineffective selfs which occur when pollen exudes from pores in the anthers directly over the stigma; air currents and rain splashing probably accentuate the effect. Self-pollination is facilitated by the long period of stigma receptivity which occurs for 12 days commencing 2 days after anthesis. Each flower contains approximately 60 000 pollen grains that are viable for up to 15 days. The pollen-ovule ratio is high, up to 32 000. Most pollen is shed 3 days after anthesis, but this depends on temperature, relative humidity and probably the water potential of flowers. The flowers are visited by few flying insects during most of the flowering season. In warm weather near the end of flowering a wide range of insects visit the flowers. Although the visitors are mostly small flies these are ineffective pollinators. The main potential pollinators are medium sized flies and bees.

1972 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 569-574 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. C. YEUNG ◽  
E. N. LARTER

A study of the pollen production properties of three hexaploid triticale strains (Triticale hexaploide Lart.) showed that their anther length was significantly greater than that of wheat anthers (Triticum aestivum L. em Thell.) and the estimated number of pollen grains per anther ranged from 15,000 to 21,000. In comparison, a total of 8000 grains per anther was estimated for wheat, cult Manitou. Eighty-nine percent anther extrusion occurred in triticale cult Rosner, while Manitou averaged 70% anther extrusion. The period of anthesis of triticale varied according to strain but generally was of longer duration than in Manitou and thereby promoted outcrossing. Using a triticale strain carrying a dominant marker gene, 50% seed-set was obtained at a distance of 12 m leeward of the pollen source; however, a small percentage was still obtained at a distance of 30 m. It would appear from the limited number of triticales used in this study that a wide range of variability exists within this species in its pollen production and disseminating properties. With appropriate selection pressures, strains with an outbreeding habit could be developed for the purpose of hybrid seed production.


2006 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 559 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Page ◽  
G. M. Moore ◽  
J. Will ◽  
G. M. Halloran

The onset and duration of stigma receptivity in K. pomifera was evaluated by observing stigma peroxidase activity, pollen-tube growth and seed set, following controlled pollination of flowers of different ages. Peroxidase activity was negligible from 1 day before to 4 days after anthesis, increasing to a peak of 65% at Day 13. The percentage of pistils bearing germinated pollen and ovaries exhibiting pollen-tube entry increased when pollen was applied to the stigma from the day before anthesis, to a maximum at Days 6 and 7 after anthesis, respectively, followed by a decline by Day 9. Under greenhouse conditions the optimum pollination period, measured as the level of set seed after pollination, ranged from 2 to 11 days after anthesis. The knowledge of this aspect of the species reproductive biology is of considerable value in controlled pollinations for its improvement as a new crop.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fan Wang ◽  
Feng-Jiao Zhang ◽  
Fa-Di Chen ◽  
Wei-Min Fang ◽  
Nian-Jun Teng

There has been a heated argument over self-incompatibilityof chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) among chrysanthemum breeders. In order to solve the argument, we investigated pistil receptivity, seed set, and compatible index of 24 chrysanthemum cultivars. It was found that the 24 cultivars averagely had 3.7–36.3 pollen grains germinating on stigmas at 24 hours after self-pollination through the fluorescence microscope using aniline blue staining method. However, only 10 of them produced self-pollinated seeds, and their seed sets and compatible indexes were 0.03–56.50% and 0.04–87.50, respectively. The cultivar “Q10-33-1” had the highest seed set (56.50%) and compatible index (87.50), but ten of its progeny had a wide range of separation in seed set (0–37.23%) and compatible index (0–68.65). The results indicated that most of chrysanthemum cultivars were self-incompatible, while a small proportion of cultivars were self-compatible. In addition, there is a comprehensive separation of self-incompatibility among progeny from the same self-pollinated self-compatible chrysanthemum cultivar. Therefore, it is better to emasculate inflorescences during chrysanthemum hybridization breeding when no information concerning its self-incompatibility characteristics is available. However, if it is self-incompatible and propagated by vegetative methods, it is unnecessary to carry out emasculation when it is used as a female plant during hybridization breeding.


Growth regulators, phytohormones, both natural and artificial, are the main means to control plant ontogenesis. They are involved in regulating the processes of cell differentiation and cell divisions, the formation of tissues and organs, the changes in the rate of growth and development, the duration of the certain stages of ontogenesis. The main classes of phytohormones used in plant biotechnology, in particular, in the induction of haploid structures, are auxins and cytokinins. The mechanism of action of phytohormones on a cell is rather complicated and may have a different character. Understanding the characteristics of the action of phytohormones is complicated by the fact that the system of hormonal regulation of plant life is multicomponent. This is manifested in the fact that the same physiological process is most often influenced not by one, but by several phytohormones, covering a wide range of aspects of cell metabolism. In connection with the foregoing, the purpose of our work was to test a set of nutrient media with different basic composition and different proportions of phytohormones to determine the patterns of their influence on the processes of haploid structure induction in rape anther culture using accessions, developed at the Institute of Oilseed Crops NAAS. The material used was two accessions of winter rapeseed (No. 1 and No. 2) and one sample of spring rapeseed, provided by the Rapeseed Breeding laboratory of the Institute of Oilseed Crops. Incised inflorescences were kept against the background of low temperature of 6–8 ° C for several days, and then, under aseptic conditions, anthers with unripe pollen grains were isolated and planted on nutrient media differing in both basic mineral composition and content of phytohormones. MS (Murashige & Skoog 1962) and B5 (Gamborg et al 1968) media were used as basic media. Phytohormones were added to the basic media in various combinations – BA, 2,4-D, NAA at the concentrations of 0.1-0.6 mg/l. In each treatment up to 300 anthers were cultivated. Differences between treatments were evaluated using standard t-test. Studies have shown that in the anther culture of rapeseed on the tested nutrient media, morphogenic structures of different types (embryoids and callus) were originated. Synthetic auxin 2,4-D, regardless of the composition of the basic medium, caused the formation of structures of both types, though with a low frequency. Phytohormone BA of the cytokinin type had a similar effect. In this case, the frequency of structures was slightly higher, and the developed structures were represented mainly by embryoids. The joint action of cytokinin and auxin was the most favorable for the initiation of morphogenic structures. Such combination of phytohormones caused the formation of these structures with a frequency of 24.5-14.7% in the studied genotypes of winter rape. A similar effect of phytohormones on the induction and development of morphogenic structures was also observed in spring rape. In this case, a single basic MS medium was used. The experiment included treatments where phytohormones were absent (control), as well as various combinations of auxin and cytokinin. In the control treatment, the formation of new structures was not noted. In treatments with phytohormones, in addition to the medium with the combination of auxin and cytokinin, the medium in which only cytokinin was present was also rather effective. The treatment in which the action of auxin 2,4-D was combined with the action of another auxin, NAA, turned out to be practically ineffective. Thus, it was found that for the induction of morphogenic structures from microspores in rape anther culture of the tested genotypes, the combination of cytokinin with auxin, or the use of only single cytokinin BA without other phytohormones, had the most positive effect.


Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 815
Author(s):  
Sandra V. Rojas-Nossa ◽  
José María Sánchez ◽  
Luis Navarro

Floral development depends on multifactor processes related to genetic, physiological, and ecological pathways. Plants respond to herbivores by activating mechanisms aimed at tolerating, compensating, or avoiding loss of biomass and nutrients, and thereby survive in a complex landscape of interactions. Thus, plants need to overcome trade-offs between development, growth, and reproduction vs. the initiation of anti-herbivore defences. This study aims to assess the frequency of phloem-feeding herbivores in wild populations of the Etruscan honeysuckle (Lonicera etrusca Santi) and study their effects on floral development and reproduction. The incidence of herbivory by the honeysuckle aphid (Hyadaphis passerinii del Guercio) was assessed in three wild populations of the Iberian Peninsula. The effect of herbivory on floral morphology, micromorphology of stigmas and pollen, floral rewards, pollination, and fruit and seed set were studied. The herbivory by aphids reduces the size of flowers and pollen. Additionally, it stops nectar synthesis and causes malformation in pollen and microstructures of stigmas, affecting pollination. As a consequence, fruit set and seed weight are reduced. This work provides evidence of the changes induced by phloem-feeding herbivores in floral development and functioning that affect the ecological processes necessary to maintain the reproductive success of plants.


1993 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rogério Gribel ◽  
John D. Hay

ABSTRACTThe floral biology, breeding system and pollination of Caryocar brasiliense were studied in the cerrado vegetation of Central Brazil. The large, yellowish-cream, brush-like flowers are pollinated mainly by glossophagine bats (Glossophaga soricina and Anoura geoffroyi). Three non-glossophagine bats (Phyllostomus discolor, Vampyrops lineatus and Carollia perspicillata) and two short probosisced hawk moths (Erinyis ello and Pseudosphinx tetrio) may also act as occasional pollinators. Caryocar brasiliense is self-compatible although it sets significantly more fruits when crossed than when selfed. The natural fruit set (fruit/flower ratio) and seed set (seed/ovule ratio) are 3.1% and 1.0% respectively. Most of the fruits and seeds are formed through the action of the flower visitors, despite the fact that about 20% of the non-visited flowers receive self pollen on at least one stigma.


1979 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 525-530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholi Vorsa ◽  
E. T. Bingham

Four diploid (2x) clones of alfalfa, Medicago sativa L., which produced good seed set when used as male parents in 4x-2x crosses were selected for study. The 2x clones descended from 2x haploids of cultivated 4x alfalfa. Fertility in the 4x-2x cross was due to the production of pollen with the unreduced chromosome number (2n pollen) from the 2x parent. The cytological mechanism of 2n pollen formation was found to be disorientation of spindles at metaphase II in up to 38% of the pollen mother cells. Thus, both n and 2n pollen were produced by all four diploids examined. Normal spindles at metaphase II were oriented such that they defined the poles of a tetrahedron and resulted in normal tetrads in a tetrahedral arrangement. Disoriented spindles were basically parallel to each other and resulted in formation of dyads and occasionally a triad. Dyads developed into two 2n pollen grains; triads developed into one 2n and two n pollen grains. Since both n and 2n pollen grains are produced by the diploids, they can be maintained as diploids or they can be used as male parents in crosses to tetraploids. The genetic constitution of 2n pollen resulting from parallel spindles is similar to that expected after first division restitution of meiosis and much of the heterozygosity of the diploid parent is conserved in the gametes. The 2n gamete mechanism has potential application in germplasm transfer and in maximizing heterozygosity in tetraploid hybrids.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fu-Shuang Li ◽  
Pyae Phyo ◽  
Joseph Jacobowitz ◽  
Mei Hong ◽  
Jing-Ke Weng

Sporopollenin is a ubiquitous and extremely chemically inert biopolymer that constitutes the outer wall of all land-plant spores and pollen grains. Sporopollenin protects the vulnerable plant gametes against a wide range of environmental assaults, and is considered as a prerequisite for the migration of early plants onto land. Despite its importance, the chemical structure of plant sporopollenin has remained elusive. Using a newly developed thioacidolysis degradative method together with state-of-the-art solid-state NMR techniques, we determined the detailed molecular structure of pine sporopollenin. We show that pine sporopollenin is primarily composed of aliphatic-polyketide-derived polyvinyl alcohol units and 7-O-p-coumaroylated C16 aliphatic units, crosslinked through a distinctive m-dioxane moiety featuring an acetal. Naringenin was also identified as a minor component of pine sporopollenin. This discovery answers the long-standing question about the chemical makeup of plant sporopollenin, laying the foundation for future investigations of sporopollenin biosynthesis and for design of new biomimetic polymers with desirable inert properties.


Web Ecology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuela Giovanetti ◽  
Margarida Ramos ◽  
Cristina Máguas

Abstract. Acacia longifolia, a native legume from Australia, has been introduced in many European countries and elsewhere, thus becoming one of the most important global invasive species. In Europe, its flowering occurs in a period unsuitable for insect activity: nonetheless it is considered entomophilous. Floral traits of this species are puzzling: brightly coloured and scented as liked by insects, but with abundant staminate small-sized flowers and relatively small pollen grains, as it is common in anemophilous species. Invasion processes are especially favoured when reshaping local ecological networks, thus the interest in understanding pollination syndromes associated with invasive plant species that may facilitate invasiveness. Moreover, a striking difference exists between its massive flowering and relatively poor seed set. We introduced a novel approach: first, we consider the possibility that a part of the pollination success is carried on by wind and, second, we weighted the ethological perspective of the main pollinator. During the flowering season of A. longifolia (February–April 2016), we carried on exclusion experiments to detect the relative contribution of insects and wind. While the exclusion experiments corroborated the need for pollen vectors, we actually recorded a low abundance of insects. The honeybee, known pollinator of acacias, was relatively rare and not always productive in terms of successful visits. While wind contributed to seed set, focal observations confirmed that honeybees transfer pollen when visiting both the inflorescences to collect pollen and the extrafloral nectaries to collect nectar. The mixed pollination strategy of A. longifolia may then be the basis of its success in invading Portugal's windy coasts.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 64-69
Author(s):  
L. Bayramov

Abstract. The zones of distribution of varieties and forms of quince on the territory of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic have been established, phenological observations have been carried out, their flowering and fruiting have been studied. On the territory of the Autonomous Republic, flowering of varieties and forms of quince begins in the second decade of April, depending on the distribution zone, with an average daily temperature of 12–13 °C and lasts 12–13 days, depending on weather conditions. Each flower has 10–12 stamens arranged in one row. The article also studied the viability of pollen in a number of quince varieties. Pollen viability was studied in the varieties Sary, Tursh, Ordubad, Gara and wild forms. Pollen fertility was determined by staining with acetocarmine. Pollen germinates in 2–5–10–15 and 20% glucose solution. Counting of germinated pollen grains was carried out under a microscope. The study showed that of all the experimental varieties, the pollen fertility of the Sary quince and Tursh quince varieties is high (up to 96.6–97.1%). The best medium for the germination of quince pollen is a 10–15% glucose solution. Pollen germination in this solution reaches 47.4–88.0%. In distilled water (control), the germination of quince pollen reached from 9.7% to 35.6% for varieties. Quince pollen remains viable for 31–43 days.


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