Investigation on pollen viability and longevity in Malus pumila L., Pyrus commonis L., and Cydonia oblonga L., in vitro

Abstract

The most important goal of fruit growers is obtaining high quantity and quality yield in fruit industry which depends on sufficient fruit setting. Pollination and fertilization are the basic factors which affect fruit setting volume. Commercial fruit trees in Iran belong to stone and pome fruits of Rosaceae family with gametophytic self-incompatibility, making necessary the selection of favorable pollinizer in breeding and orchard planning programs. Therefore, knowledge about pollen traits of the species and cultivars in this family is one of the main issues for growers and breeders. In this research, pollen germination, tube growth and longevity were studied in some cultivars and selected favorable genotypes of three species including; apple, pear and quince. Pollen traits were investigated after 35 days maintenance in 0°C, using in vitro medium containing 16% sucrose, 4 ppm acid boric and 1% agar. Cultured pollens were incubated in dark condition at 25°C for 24 h and then, pollen germination percentage and pollen tube length were evaluated using Light-Microscope. Results showed significant differences among cultivars and genotypes of each three studied species for pollen germination, tube growth and longevity characteristics. Key words: Apple, pear, quince, pollen traits, longevity and in vitro condition.