scholarly journals Learning by Doing: Applying the Concept of Pollen Viability in a Horticulture Classroom

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 461-464
Author(s):  
Kauahi Perez

Learning by doing plays a critical role in a learner’s conceptual understanding. By actively engaging with a concept, students gain experience and develop an enduring understanding of the concept. The concept of pollen viability is a critical component in the field of plant breeding and can be used to explain various aspects of pollen quality. An inquiry activity was designed to expose undergraduate students in a horticulture course to the concept of pollen viability and its application. The entire class was tasked with collaborating to identify an in vitro germination medium optimized to germinate plumeria (Plumeria rubra) pollen. To determine optimum sucrose and pH concentrations of the medium, student groups were assigned treatments of pollen from two plumeria cultivars that were germinated in Brewbaker and Kwack media of differing sucrose and pH concentrations. Students calculated the percentage of germinated pollen and assessed pollen tube integrity and used these variables as evidence of an optimized medium. Although undergraduates were engaged in authentic research practices during the inquiry activity, lack of time and resources impeded completion of the activity. However, students were exposed to methods and instrumentation directly related to evaluating pollen viability. Moreover, they were exposed to the basic practice of pollen quality assessment that they can use to carry out investigations on pollen fertility. In addition, insight was gained to improve the inquiry activity in the future. Now, well-informed modifications to the inquiry activity can be made to pilot this activity in a formal horticulture laboratory section.

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melekber Sulusoglu ◽  
Aysun Cavusoglu

Pollen quality is important for growers and breeders. This study was carried out to determinein vitropollen viability and pollen germination in seven genotypes of cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasusL.). Two pollen viability tests, TTC (2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride) and IKI (iodine potassium iodide), were used. Pollen traits of genotypes were studied using anin vitromedium containing 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% sucrose to determine the best sucrose concentrations for germination. In the second step, the germinated pollen was counted 1, 4, 6, 10, 12, 24, and 48 hours later until there was no further germination. The viability rates were different according to genotypes and tests used. The IKI and TTC staining tests and pollen germination had low correlation (r2= 0.0614 andr2= 0.0015, resp.). Painted pollen rate was higher and pollen was well-stained with IKI test and pollen viability estimated with TTC staining test was better than that estimated with the IKI staining test. 15% sucrose gave the best germination rates in most of the genotypes. Pollen germination rates were recorded periodically from one hour to 48 hours in 15% sucrose and the results showed that pollen germination rates increased after 6 hours of being placed in culture media.


2007 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian C. Burke ◽  
John W. Wilcut ◽  
Nina S. Allen

A high proportion of viable pollen grains must germinate to study the physiology of pollen growth to reduce the confounding effects of environmental influences on pollen germination. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the nuclear state and develop a suitable medium and culture method for in vitro germination of johnsongrass pollen. Johnsongrass pollen was trinucleate, and in vitro tests for pollen viability using Alexander's stain and a fluorochromatic reaction method (FCR) indicated johnsongrass pollen was viable (92.6 to 98.4%). A factorial treatment arrangement of four concentrations of sucrose, two concentrations of boric acid, and two concentrations of calcium nitrate were used to determine the optimum pollen-germination medium composition in suspension culture, agar culture, and cellophane membrane culture. Germination was highest in a suspension culture with a medium containing 0.3 M sucrose, 2.4 mM boric acid, and 3 mM calcium nitrate. Pollen germination using this medium was 78.9% when anthers were harvested just before anthesis.


HortScience ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 365-367 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhanao Deng ◽  
Brent K. Harbaugh

The sporadic nature of inflorescence production and flower protogyny in caladium (Caladium ×hortulanum Birdsey) makes it desirable to store pollen and to rapidly assess its viability for cross-pollinations in breeding programs. This study was conducted to develop a procedure to determine caladium pollen viability and to use that procedure to evaluate the effect of short-term storage conditions on pollen viability. The sucrose level in the culture medium was found to have a significant impact on the in vitro germination of caladium pollen; a concentration of 6.8% was determined to be optimal for pollen germination. Caladium pollen lost viability within 1 day under room (24 °C) or freezing (-20 °C) temperatures, but could be stored at 4 °C for 2 to 4 days. Pollen stored at 4 °C produced successful pollinations. Data obtained from large-scale greenhouse pollinations supported use of this in vitro germination assay as a convenient way to evaluate caladium pollen viability (and fertility).


2022 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-98
Author(s):  
Cristiane Gonçalves Souza ◽  
Sabrina Maihave Barbosa Ramos ◽  
Silvia Nietsche ◽  
Clivia Carolina Fiorilo Possobom ◽  
Elka Fabiana Aparecida Almeida ◽  
...  

Abstract Adenium obesum (Forssk.) Roem. & Schult., popularly known as desert rose, has become a valuable ornamental plant. In floriculture, the production of hybrids is prioritized. Hence, knowledge on floral biology and sexual reproduction of the target species is fundamental. The objectives of this study were: (1) to test sucrose concentrations and temperatures for in vitro germination of A. obesum pollen grains; (2) to identify the effect of temperature on the viability of A. obesum pollen grains; and (3) to evaluate the viability of pollen grains and stigma receptivity in pre-anthesis, at flower opening, and 72 h post-flower opening in three accessions of A. obesum. A significant relationship between temperatures and sucrose concentrations was observed in the in vitro germination test. The highest percentage of in vitro germination of pollen grains, 39.81%, was observed at an estimated temperature of 26.05 °C. Desert rose accessions maintained in biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) chambers at 30 °C during a 16-h light photoperiod showed faster flowering, and temperatures ≥ 25 °C induced pollen grain viability percentages above 69%. Temperature is one of the most important abiotic factors, influencing mainly in pollen germination, pollen tube growing and in efficiency fertilization. The ICA-wd accession stood out and can be considered a pollen donor in artificial pollination. The stigmas of flowers were receptive from a day before flower opening until three days after. The two parameters presented above, stigma receptivity and pollen viability, allow inferences about the appropriate time for successful pollination and subsequent fertilization in desert roses.


2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Georgieva ◽  
Ivelina Nikolova ◽  
Valentin Kosev ◽  
Yordanka Naydenova

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of two organic nanofertilizers, Lithovit and Nagro, on in vitro germination, pollen tube elongation and pollen grain viability of Pisum sativum L cv. Pleven 4. The effect of their application was high and exceeded data for the untreated control (44.2 and 47.23 % regarding pollen germination and pollen tube elongation, respectively), as well as the effect of the control organic algal fertilizer Biofa (17.5 and 27.9 %, respectively). Pollen grains were inoculated in four culture media. A medium containing 15% sucrose and 1% agar had the most stimulating impact on pea pollen grains. Pollen viability, evaluated by staining with 1% carmine, was within limits of 74.72-87.97%. The highest viability of pollen grains was demonstrated after the application of Nagro organic nano-fertlizer.


2013 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 1116-1126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taliane Leila Soares ◽  
Onildo Nunes de Jesus ◽  
Janay Almeida dos Santos-Serejo ◽  
Eder Jorge de Oliveira

The use of Passiflora species for ornamental purposes has been recently developed, but little is known about pollen viability and the potential for crossing different species. The objective of this study was to evaluate the pollen viability of six Passiflora species collected from different physiological stages of development through in vitro germination and histochemical analysis using dyes. The pollen was collected in three stages (pre-anthesis, anthesis and post-anthesis). Three compositions of culture medium were used to evaluate the in vitro germination, and two dyes (2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride, or TTC, and Lugol's solution) were used for the histochemical analysis. The culture medium containing 0.03% Ca(NO3) 4H2O, 0.02% of Mg(SO4 ).7H2O, 0.01% of KNO3, 0,01% of H3BO3, 15% sucrose, and 0.8% agar, pH 7.0, showed a higher percentage of pollen grains germinated. Anthesis is the best time to collect pollen because it promotes high viability and germination. The Lugol's solution and TTC dye overestimated the viability of pollen, as all accessions showed high viability indices when compared with the results obtained in vitro.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrej Kormuťák ◽  
Peter Bolecek ◽  
Martin Galgóci ◽  
Dušan Gömöry

AbstractPollen storage belongs among the most important activities associated with pollen handling. It overcomes the differences in pollen shedding and ovule receptivity during controlled pollination experiments. It is especially important for species like common juniper (Juniperus communis L.) with an extremely low quality of seeds due to pollination failure. Additionally, it is a substantial part of germplasm preservation programmes in pollen banks. In the present paper, the effect of short-term storage of pollen was studied using pollen samples from five shrubs in an in vitro germination test. Two temperature regimes were tested. The pollen viability of freshly collected pollen varied considerably between individual shrubs, exhibiting 67.3–88.6% germination rate and 248.0–367.3 µm of pollen tubes. Storage at + 4 °C for four months was accompanied by a profound decline in pollen viability. The germination percentage was reduced to 49.2–75.2% and the pollen tube length to 32.5–69.0%, depending on individual shrubs. The corresponding decline in pollen viability characteristics during storage at − 20 °C was only negligible in two of the tested shrubs. In the remaining three shrub samples, an increase in germination percentage was observed. Pollen tube growth responded more sensitively to freezing, but, on average, the decrease in length was lower than that at + 4 °C. The rate of reduction in pollen tube length varied between 11.5 and 45.4%. Cytological events accompanying in vitro germination of freezer-stored pollen exhibited some delay in releasing the exine from pollen grains during the early stages of germination as compared with freshly collected pollen. In conclusion, short-term storage of the common juniper pollen in a freezer is better for the preservation of its viability than storage at + 4 °C.


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