Summary
A quantitative examination of pollen grain germination and pollen tube growth within the overy wall was made in selected wheat × tetraploid H. bulbosum hybridizations, to investigate the effect of the wheat and the H. bulbosum genotype on these characters. As expected, variation at the known crossability loci had no effect on pollen grain germination. The frequency of pollen tube penetration of the ovary wall was, however, severely reduced when the dominant alleles were present. Pollen tube penetration was nevertheless observed in 3 of the 110 ovaries examined of the non-crossable cultivar Highbury. The H. bulbosum genotype had a much smaller effect on these characters, but significant differences between the clones were observed in the numbers of pollen tubes initially penetrating the ovary wall. Although two H. bulbosum genotypes showed no significant differences in the number of ovaries with pollen tubes at the base of the ovule, significant differences in the frequency of fertilization were observed. The possible cause of this discrepancy is discussed.
The frequency of fertilization in crossable wheat × H. bulbosum hybridizations was improved by the application of gibberellic acid within 10 minutes of pollination, and reduced by an increase in the ambient temperature from 20°C to 26°C. Fertilization following the pollination of non-crossable wheat genotypes was not affected by either of these factors.
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Sitch, L.A., Snape, J.W. Factors affecting haploid production in wheat using the Hordeum bulbosum system. 1. Genotypic and environmental effects on pollen grain germination, pollen tube growth and the frequency of fertilization. Euphytica 36, 483–496 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00041492
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00041492