PUMPKIN POLLEN MORPHOLOGY ANALYSED BY MICROSCOPY TECHNIQUES

There are few studies of pollen morphology in Cucurbita moschata. The present study is a pollen morphological investigation of six near-homozygous lines (L4, L11, L12, L20, L21 and L27) and three pumpkin cultivars (‘Caravela’, ‘Jacarezinho’ and ‘Menina Brasileira’). The near-homozygous lines were obtained in a genetic breeding program developed by the State University of North Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro (UENF) in Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil.
Pollen material was described and measured by light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Their shapes, sizes and colour were compared.
Polar axis/ Equatorial axis ratio (P/E ratio) showed variability for pollen grains shape among oblate spheroidal (0.88-0.99), spherical (1.00) and prolate spheroidal (1.01-1.14). Pollen grains were oblate spheroidal in L20 (P/E=0.99) and ‘Caravela’ (P/E=0.97), spherical in L11, L12, ‘Jacarezinho’ and ‘Menina Brasileira’, and prolate spheroidal in L4 (P/E=1.06), L21 (P/E=1.01) and L27 (P/E=1.01). Pollen grains from near-homozygous lines were slightly larger than those of the cultivars analysed (average polar diameter=73.49 µm and average equatorial diameter=73.34 µm). Fresh pollen grains of near-homozygous lines and cultivars were dark yellow.
The results showed that pumpkin pollen grains are easily identifiable by size and shape when analyzed by LM and SEM.

XXVIII International Horticultural Congress on Science and Horticulture for People (IHC2010): International Symposium on Plant Physiology from Cell to Fruit Production System

G. da S. Barbosa, N.R. Leal, R. Rodrigues, F.C. Miguens

Cucurbita moschata Duchesne, palynology, SEM, LM, near-homozygous lines

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2012.932.17