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ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Crop Germplasm Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #82920
Title: POLLEN TUBE GROWTH AND SEED SET OF PROTOGYNOUS BUFFELGRASS

Author
item SHAFER, G - TEXAS A & M UNIVERSITY
item HUSSEY, M - TEXAS A & M UNIVERSITY
item Burson, Byron

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/31/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Buffelgrass, Pennisetum ciliare (L.) Link, is a warm-season forage grass with protogynous flowering behavior. Little is known about the protogynous interval in this species or if this phenomenon can be used to produce hybrids without emasculation. More than 440 accessions were evaluated and grouped into three protogynous intervals: 1, 2, and 3+ days prior to anthesis. Six accessions representing the three protogynous intervals wer used for this study. Individual florets of each accession were self pollinated and cross-pollinated. Pollen germination and tube growth were observed by examining the pollinated pistils with fluorescent microscopy. For all protogynous intervals under both self- and cross- pollinated conditions, the pollen germinated within 30 minutes after contacting the stigmas and the tubes had grown to the micropyle within two hours. Seed set ranged from 37-80%. These findings indicate that protogyny can be used dto produce hybrids without emasculation in buffelgrass.