Flowering and Pollination Habit and Fluorescence Microexamination of Pollen Tube Germination of Four Ornamental Apple Strains

Ji Xuan; Guo Shaoxia; Sun Xin; Zhao Ruixue; Liu Yuanxia; Dai Hongyi; Zhang Yugang

doi:10.14083/j.issn.1001-4942.2017.05.007

Abstract：The pollination varieties with large amount of flowers and good compatibility have important significance to the high yield and fruit quality of apple.Four apple hybrid offsprings with good ornamental characteristics were used as materials to observe the habit of flowering and pollination.The situ pollen tube germination and fruit setting rate were also investigated to evaluate the sexual compatibility with'Gala'and 'Fuji'apple.The results showed that the flowers of the four strains had large numbers and bright color.The early flowering season of the four strains were 4 ～ 6 days earlier than that of'Gala'and'Fuji'apple,and the flower season lasted normally for 15 ～20 days.The pollen germination rate in'Fuji'stigma and growth rate in style were superior to'Gala',which showed better compatibility in'Fuji'.A large amount of pollen germinated after pollination for 24 hours,and the germination rates were more than 72％.The order of pollen germination number was S14 ＞ S69 ＞ R15 ＞ S44.The pollen germination reached the maximum after pollination for 72 hours;at this time,the pollen tube of S44 and R15 extended into 1/2 of style,while that of S14 and S69 extended into 3/4.The pollen tube of S44 and R15 reached the 3/4 of style after 120 hours,while that of S14 and S69 passed through to the bottom of style.All the four kinds of pollen entered the ovary after 168 hours.The fruit setting rate of'Gala'and'Fuji'pollinated with the four hybrid offspring strains were more than 62.4％.The fruit setting rate of S14 and S69 were higher followed by S44,and that of R15 was the lowest.The fruit setting rate of'Fuji'apple was better than that of corresponding'Gala'.This study proved that the four hybrid offspring strains could be used as ornamental apple as well as pollination varieties with better prospect of popularization and application.