DETERMINATION OF POLLEN VIABILITY, GERMINATION, AND QUANTITIY IN LOQUAT CULTIVARS

Pollen viability tests on four cultivars of loquat were determined by using TTC staining methods (1% 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride), I₂KI (iodine/potassium iodide solution) and safranin staining.
In vitro germination tests were carried out with the Agar-Plate method in a medium consisting of 0.5% agar, 10% sucrose, and 0.01% boric acid.
Pollen production capacity was determined with the hemacytometric method.
Experimental results showed that the pollen viability estimation varied by tests and by cultivar.
Using TTC test, the highest pollen viability was found in ‘Gold Nugget’ and the lowest in ‘KKTC4’. In the I₂KI test, ‘Gold Nugget’ (98.6%), had the highest pollen viability value and ‘KKTC4’ the lowest.
With safranin staining, ‘Gold Nugget’ (75.6%) had the highest pollen viability and ‘G6’ type (29.8%) the lowest.
Amount of pollen per flower all cultivars varied between 303 thousand and 153 thousand.
The highest amount of pollen per flower was found on ‘Gold Nugget’ and the lowest was on ‘G6’ type. ‘Gold Nugget’ cultivar demonstrated the highest average fruit set and yield, (19.7%, 28.2 kg/tree), whereas, ‘G6’ type showed the lowest (8.0%, 6.0 kg/tree).

III International Symposium on Loquat

S. Gozlekci, H.I. Uzun, S. Tepe

loquat, pollen germination, pollen viability, pollen quantitiy

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2011.887.48