POLLEN FERTILITY AND FEMALE FLOWER ANATOMY OF MICROPROPAGATED COCONUT PALMS

Abstract

The increasing demand in México for disease resistant coconut palms (Cocos nucifera L.) requires massive multiplication of improved or selected genotypes. This could be achieved through micropropagation. A reproducible micropropagation protocol via somatic embryogenesis, based on the use of plumule explants has been previously reported. The present study reports the pollen fertility and female flower structure of palms obtained from micropropagation and planted in the field. After two years under nursery conditions and two and half years in the field, the palms showed development of reproductive organs. When compared with sexually propagated palms, there were no differences in the number of inflorescences, number of female flowers and rachillae per inflorescence, pollen grains number, its viability and percentage of germination. Ovary anatomy of micropropagated palms was similar to those of seed palms. This is the first report on coconut micropropagated palms that reached sexual maturity in the field. These results show the potential of coconut micropropagation to produce true-to-type palms.