Production of total and stainable pollen grains in Olea europaea L

Abstract

The production of the total and stainable number of pollen grains per flower and per inflorescence of 13 olive cultivars (Olea europaea L.) has been investigated. Grains stainability was evaluated by using the acetic carmine staining method whereas the production of pollen grains was calculated by using a Bürker haemocytometer. All pollen characteristics taken into account varied significantly among the cultivars. The number of flowers per inflorescence ranged from a maximum of 31.3 (‘Cipressino’) to a minimum of 13.0 (‘Leccino’), the number of pollen grains per anther ranged from 123 346 (‘Arbequina’) to 40 975 (‘Sant'Agostino’), and the pollen stainability from 97.6% (‘Cipressino’) to 48.0% (‘Cellina di Nardò’). The number of stainable pollen grains per inflorescence averaged 2 559 512, ranging from a maximum of 3 913 678 (‘Nociara’) to a minimum of 940 143 (‘Sant'Agostino’). All parameters were positively correlated, whereas a linear negative correlation was found between stainability and total pollen grains both per anther and per inflorescence.