Articles
Correlation between carbohydrate content and viability in pollen of some Italian hazelnut cultivars
Article number
1425_45
Pages
349 – 356
Language
English
Abstract
The result of the formation of a mature gametophyte and therefore of an effective pollination event, is closely linked to the availability of nutrients during the development of the anther.
Poor carbohydrate intake, due to unsuitable cultural practices is often associated to pollen sterility.
Here we investigate a possible relationship between pollen carbohydrate content (glucose, fructose, sucrose) and viability, in three Italian hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) cultivars, two early flowering (‘San Giovanni’ and ‘Tonda Bianca’) and one intermediate-late flowering (‘Tonda Gentile Romana’), comparing them with a wild type (WT) accession.
Samples were analyzed during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 flowering seasons.
The work was firstly based on the recognition of viable, anomalous (sterile) and non-viable pollen grains using an impedance flow cytometer, to better discriminate any seasonal fluctuation.
Trends in pollen viability remained largely similar across the flowering period, demonstrating some degree of species-specificity.
All cultivars were characterized by a fair level of anomalous pollen with the exception of the WT accession, which has been shown to be unrelated to the reciprocal translocation events, common among hazelnut cultivars.
High sucrose content was detected in all genotypes in comparison with glucose and fructose, often at the limit of detection.
The concentrations of sucrose during the entire dispersal phase were characterized by a trend similar to that of the pollen viability, confirming the importance of this molecule in the protection of plasma membranes from dehydration through the control of the water content and the regulation of the pressure of the pollen turgor.
The study of the phenology associated with the pollen viability highlighted a strong sensitivity of the hazelnut pollen to climatic changes, able to determine changes both in the time and in the duration of dispersal.
Poor carbohydrate intake, due to unsuitable cultural practices is often associated to pollen sterility.
Here we investigate a possible relationship between pollen carbohydrate content (glucose, fructose, sucrose) and viability, in three Italian hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) cultivars, two early flowering (‘San Giovanni’ and ‘Tonda Bianca’) and one intermediate-late flowering (‘Tonda Gentile Romana’), comparing them with a wild type (WT) accession.
Samples were analyzed during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 flowering seasons.
The work was firstly based on the recognition of viable, anomalous (sterile) and non-viable pollen grains using an impedance flow cytometer, to better discriminate any seasonal fluctuation.
Trends in pollen viability remained largely similar across the flowering period, demonstrating some degree of species-specificity.
All cultivars were characterized by a fair level of anomalous pollen with the exception of the WT accession, which has been shown to be unrelated to the reciprocal translocation events, common among hazelnut cultivars.
High sucrose content was detected in all genotypes in comparison with glucose and fructose, often at the limit of detection.
The concentrations of sucrose during the entire dispersal phase were characterized by a trend similar to that of the pollen viability, confirming the importance of this molecule in the protection of plasma membranes from dehydration through the control of the water content and the regulation of the pressure of the pollen turgor.
The study of the phenology associated with the pollen viability highlighted a strong sensitivity of the hazelnut pollen to climatic changes, able to determine changes both in the time and in the duration of dispersal.
Authors
C. Brandoli, E. Sgarbi, V. Cristofori, C. Todeschini, C. Siniscalco
Keywords
Corylus avellana, cytoplasmic mono and di-saccharides, blooming, pollen dispersal, pollen sterility
Groups involved
- Division Plant-Environment Interactions in Field Systems
- Division Precision Horticulture and Engineering
- Working Group Modelling in Fruit Research and Orchard Management
- Working Group Modelling Plant Growth, Environmental Control, Greenhouse Environment
- Division Greenhouse and Indoor Production Horticulture
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