Consequences to fertilization of the developmental stage of apricot ovules at anthesis

Abstract

SummaryFlowers at anthesis from the apricot cvs Palstein and Goldrich were examined to determine their ovule maturity stage. Further, flowers from both cultivars were pollinated and collected after 2000 and 3000 growing degree hours (GDH) in two consecutive years. Numbers of fertilized ovules were recorded in those flowers. Ovules of ‘Palstein’ from flowers at anthesis showed predominantly an embryo sac at the eight nuclei stage of development while embryo sacs in ‘Goldrich’ were mainly in a four nuclei stage. After 2000 GDH from pollination 90% of viable ovules were fertilized in ‘Palstein’ whereas only 37.5% of them were fertilized in ‘Goldrich’. After 3000 GDH, Goldrich presented the same percentage of fertilized ovules that was recorded after 2000 GDH. Non-fertilized ovules did not degenerate and developed normally in pollinated and non-pollinated flowers from both cultivars. Further, non-fertilized pollinated flowers were not different from non-pollinated flowers in the development of the embryo sac, indicating that the chances for fertilization would not be increased by pollination in apricot. We suggest that the lack of fertilization in ‘Goldrich’ is due to degeneration of the male gametophyte, which would have a limited life, not long enough for the embryo sacs to develop to maturity.