The influence of pollen viability on seed set and fruit mass in strawberry (fragaria x ananassa duch.)

Abstract

This research was conducted in 2006 in the Experimental Station of the Department of Genetics and Horticultural Plant Breeding in Felin near Lublin. It included 7 cultivars of strawberry ('Pastel', 'Salut', 'Teresa', 'Jota', 'Paula', 'Senga Sengana', 'Plena') and two selected clones: 2395 and 3995 that belonged to the Department. Analysis of pollen fertility was carried out on the basis of materials collected on five occasions: on May 17 (at the beginning of florescence), May 20 and May 24 (the peak of florescence) and on June 2 and June 13 (the end of florescence). Smear preparations stained with 2% acetocarmin and glycerin solution (1:1) were used to test pollen viability. The highest percent of viable pollen in 2006 was in cultivar 'Jota' (70.88%). The lowest viability had pollen of 'Teresa' cultivar (33.83%). The average content of viable pollen grains was the lowest on May 20 (36.79%). The highest pollen fertility was noted on June 2 (62.15%), the percent of fertile pollen on a similar level was observed on May 17 and 24 and June13. The cultivar 'Jota' was characterized by an increased level of pollen fertility that was quite high during the whole period of florescence. The number of seeds has a great influence on the proper development of spurious strawberry fruit. The mass of seeds from a single fruit has a great influence on the mass of fruits in both large and small fruit categories. Pollen viability affected the mass of seeds on big fruits (r = 0.444), but there is no clear direct relationship between pollen fertility and mass of strawberry fruit(r = -0.193 and r = -0.052).