Tomato in greenhouse

Impact of Pollen Quality on Tomato Seed Production

Large-Scale Research Project with Rijk Zwaan

In a recent customer research project, the Ampha Z32 Pollen Analyzer was used to evaluate the pollen quality of over 800 plants in 500 m2 greenhouse area.

The conclusions of the study show:

  • – A clear and distinctive correlation between pollen viability and seed set
  • – Pollen Viability needed to obtain optimum seed set varies per line
  • – The Ampha Z32 is more precise, faster and less prone to human bias than germination assays

If you are keen to know more about this project, please download the file for free.

Check out the research project
Sorghum field

Breeding for Cold Stress Tolerance in Sorghum

Impedance Flow Cytometry Used to Analyze Sorghum Pollen Traits

A group of researchers from the Department of Plant Breeding at University of Giessen and the NPZ Innovation GmbH have conducted a study on reproductive cold stress tolerance in Sorghum F1 hybrids.

According to the study, the production of large pollen quantity with sufficient vitality also at lower temperature is considered to be the underlying physiological process to ensure seed set under cold stress in sorghum.

To quantify the amount as well as the viability of sorghum pollen, they have used the fast and non-invasive Ampha Z32 Pollen Analyzer. 

"Reproductive Cold Stress Tolerance in Sorghum F1 Hybrids is a Heterotic Trait"

Abstract:

The sensitivity of sorghum to pre-flowering cold stress, resulting in reduced pollen viability and poor seed set, is a major constraint for expanding growing areas into higher altitudes and latitudes. Nevertheless, compared to juvenile cold tolerance, reproductive cold tolerance in sorghum has received much less attention so far, and very little is known about its inheritance in F1-hybrids. We have composed a representative factorial (n=49 experimental F1-hybrids) for a comprehensive study on heterosis and combining ability for crucial tolerance traits as spikelet fertility (panicle harvestindex), seed yield and pollen viability, using field trials in stress- and control environments in Germany and Mexico as well as climate chamber experiments. Our results indicate a heterotic and rather dominant inheritance of reproductive cold tolerance in sorghum, with strong effects of female general combining ability (GCA) on F1-hybrid performance in our material. These findings, together with the comparatively low contribution of specific combining ability (SCA) effects and high heritability estimates, suggest that robust and efficient enhancement of reproductive cold tolerance is feasible viahybrid breeding.


(1) (PDF) Reproductive Cold Stress Tolerance in Sorghum F1 Hybrids is a Heterotic Trait. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335627689 [accessed Feb 11 2020].

Read the full paper