Abstract
Gossypium hirsutum flowers are easily emasculated by splitting the staminal column with the fingernail and removing the corolla and androecium. However, any damage to the ovary is considered detrimental to successful boll formation and damaged flowers are typically discarded. This study evaluated boll retention after different emasculation treatments. Removal of the membrane surrounding the ovary reduces boll retention compared to self-pollinated flowers, and showed a similar response across 18 genotypes. Damage to the ovary wall reduced boll retention compared to emasculate flowers without ovary damage. Damaged flowers could be cross-pollinated to produce additional bolls as compared to discarding the flowers. Key words: Breeding, emasculation, Gossypium hirsutum, hybridization
Highlights
Simple and rapid emasculation techniques to remove anthers, preventing self-pollination and allowing the introduction of foreign pollen to the stigma are essential for the development of new upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) varieties (Doak, 1934) and for hybrid seed production (Dong et al, 2004)
Emasculation techniques can result in tissue damage and it is recommended that emasculated flowers with ovary damage be discarded as the frequency of boll retention under arid growing conditions is low (Wilson and Stapp, 1985)
The genotype ‘Deltapine 90’ was used to evaluate 4 emasculation treatments that varied in the degree of ovary damage, Figure 1
Summary
Simple and rapid emasculation techniques to remove anthers, preventing self-pollination and allowing the introduction of foreign pollen to the stigma are essential for the development of new upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) varieties (Doak, 1934) and for hybrid seed production (Dong et al, 2004). To assess the effects of ovary damage on boll retention under humid growing conditions, studies comparing four emasculation treatments were conducted. A study assessing two emasculation treatments applied to a set of 18 genotypes was conducted to determine if retention of bolls from damaged ovaries was genotypedependent.
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