Tomato Pollen Viability – The Key to Hybrid Breeding and Seed Production Success
Tomato Pollen Quality Analysis
Overcoming Tomato Reproduction Challenges with Amphasys Pollen Analysis Technology
Successful hybrid crosses in tomato breeding and high seed yields depend on one key factor: efficient reproduction.The foundation of that is high pollen quality. When pollen quality is low, reproduction becomes unpredictable and inefficient. However, it is not enough to investigate the cause of a single cross only after problems have arisen. Delays in breeding and seed set losses can only be avoided through the systematic screening of the reproductive characteristics of all lines.
Amphasys helps overcome this challenge by providing tools and knowledge to systematically measure and understand reproductive traits. As a result, breeders and seed producers can make more informed decisions and achieve continuous improvements in both breeding and seed production workflows.
Challenge: Delayed and Inefficient Breeding Processes
The process of bringing new tomato hybrids from breeding to commercial production is lengthy and arduous, especially when reproductive traits of parent lines and offspring are unknown. Low pollen quality can cause failed crosses, late and wrong line selection—leading to lost time and increased costs.
Amphasys enables systematic pollen screening by exactly measuring viability, pollen quantity, and proportion of aberrant pollen cells. This allows breeders to map and compare reproductive performance of parent lines and offspring early on, thus accelerating and improving breeding success.
Challenge:
Undetected Susceptibility to Abiotic Stress
Abiotic stress, such as heat or drought during the flowering period of the plant, can lead to a reduction in pollen quality, which often manifests as reproductive problems or poor seed set. Detecting the effects of such abiotic stress factors on reproductive characteristics is not possible using conventional methods.
Amphasys helps identify stress-prone and stress-tolerant lines by precisely determining the reproductive characteristics of each line under specific environmental conditions. This ensures the optimal selection of pollinator lines in breeding and the determination of the right locations for crop placement in seed production.
Challenge:
Optimizing Greenhouse Space
Seed production in greenhouses is particularly expensive. Since only female lines are profitable, using larger areas for cultivating male lines leads to a waste of resources and inefficient seed production. Optimizing greenhouse space therefore requires precise knowledge of the pollen quality of the male lines.
Precise pollen quality analysis with Amphasys Pollen Analyzers enables the optimization of planting areas, thereby increasing yield. Understanding the potential of male plants allows for area optimization and the development of pollen storage protocols – freeing up space for more productive female plants and increasing seed yield.
The Right Tools for Tomato Pollen Analysis
To support tomato breeders and seed production teams in making fast, data-driven decisions, Amphasys offers a powerful combination of analyzers and crop-specific microfluidic chips. Whether you work in the lab, greenhouse, or field, our tools are designed to deliver accurate, real-time insights into pollen quality—when and where you need them.
Ampha Z40
Designed for high-throughput and detailed research, the Ampha Z40 is ideal for all tasks from R&D to seed production. With full protocol flexibility, advanced analytics, and compatibility with all Amphasys measurement chips, it provides deep insights into pollen performance whether it be in tomato breeding programs or seed production research.
Ampha P20
The portable, robust, and battery-powered Ampha P20 is ideal for remote measurements in greenhouse and field environments. It delivers real-time viability and concentration data, supported by automated data-analysis with the crop-specific tomato chip. Perfect for plant breeders and seed production teams who need fast and straightforward results without lab infrastructure.
AmphaChip Tomato
This chip, specifically designed for tomatoes, is calibrated to the size and properties of tomato pollen cells. It delivers precise and reproducible results on viability and quantity within one minute—whether you are screening lines in breeding or seed production. With its high sensitivity and plug-and-play handling, it is ideal for systematic screening in the lab, greenhouse, or field.
How Tomato Pollen Analysis Works in Practice
For plant breeders and seed producers pollen quality control is crucial for achieving efficient breeding processes and high seed set in production. Amphasys Pollen Analyzers allow you to integrate pollen quality monitoring directly into your workflows—before issues arise.
Breeding: Selecting Reliable Pollinator Lines
When breeding tomato hybrids, it is essential to know the reproductive traits of each parent line and of the offspring once homozygosity is reached. Pollen phenotyping provides relevant data that can be correlated with other plant characteristics or external measurements such as humidity, temperature, or light intensity.
Systematic screening of pollen quality allows breeders to:
- Characterize each line for pollen viability, quantity, and proportion of aberrant pollen cells
- Detect and identify lines which are heat-sensitive or prone to abiotic stress
- Select high-performing pollinator lines early in the breeding program
- Screen a large number of lines systematically and build up knowledge of reproductive properties
Seed Production: Reliable Pollination and High Seed Set
Efficient seed production relies on the right production parameters, the right crop placement, and a reliable planning. This is based on knowledge of the reproductive properties which can be retrieved from systematic pollen quality screening.
Quantitative pollen quality data help seed producers to:
- Optimize female-to-male ratios
- Develop pollen storage protocols and determine minimum pollen viability threshold
- Establish a pollen viability-seed set correlation
- Adjust crop placement according to line-specific stress tolerance
- Plan pollination activities according to availability of pollen in the right quality
Bottom line: Amphasys offers a technology for real-time pollen quality measurements. Expand your knowledge of your lines’ reproductive traits for better, data-driven results in plant breeding and seed production.
Smart parent line selection
Better timing for pollen harvest and application
Reduced production risks and higher efficiency
Increased control over seed yield outcomes
Learn More
Deepen Your Knowledge & Drive Better Results
Download expert resources to dive deeper into tomato pollen viability, measurement technology, and real-world results.
Video
Tomato Pollen Analysis
The Ampha P20 Pollen Analyzer is an ideal instrument for the measurement of a large number of samples of tomato pollen and for routine measurements wherever they are needed.
Video
Added Value in Breeding and Seed Production
In this online session, Darío Sánchez talks about the importance and benefits of systematical pollen quality monitoring.
Video
Applications of Pollen Quality Analysis
During this session Dr. Gorka Santos introduces Amphays’ technology and explains how pollen analysis and our pollen analyzers are used.
Video
Tomato Pollen Viability Measurement
Discover how the innovative Pollen Analyzer, the Ampha P20, is used to perform a tomato pollen viability measurement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is pollen viability and why is it important in tomato production?
Pollen viability refers to the percentage of living, functional pollen grains capable of fertilization. In addition to viable pollen cells, you find aberrant (dead pollen, aborted during maturation, often an indication for abiotic stress) and dead pollen in our measurements. In tomato breeding and seed production, high pollen viability is essential for successful pollination, resulting in efficient breeding processes and high yield in seed production. Using low-viability pollen can lead to poor seed development and financial losses.
How much pollen viability is needed for reliable tomato seed set?
While exact thresholds vary by variety, there is a clear correlation between pollen viability and seed set. The minimum threshold for a desired seed set can be determined using Amphasys’ pollen analyzers and monitoring the pollen quality before pollination ensures a reliable seed set.
Can I use the pollen analyzer in the greenhouse or field?
Yes. The Ampha P20 is a battery-powered, portable analyzer designed specifically for on-site use. You can analyze pollen directly in greenhouses or fields, which is especially helpful to monitor pollen quality before pollination,
What are the benefits of using the AmphaChip Tomato?
The AmphaChip Tomato is a crop-specific measurement chip, programmed with specific tomato measurement templates, sample preparation wizards, and algorithms for reliable and automated data analysis.
How much training is needed to use the Ampha P20?
Minimal. The system is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly. Most users can operate it confidently after a short training session. Automated data analysis and simple sample preparation make it accessible for lab technicians, breeders, and production staff and seasonal workers.
Talk to a Tomato Pollen Expert
Ready to improve your breeding efficiency or seed production yield? Our experts are here to help you find the right solution for your specific needs.
