Abstract
Black gram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper] cv. IPU 94 plants grown in sand culture with deficient zinc (0.1 µM Zn) nutrition and those deprived of normal (1 µM) Zn supply at the initiation of flowering, showed decrease in dry matter production and especially seed yield. These plants showed a decrease in the size of anthers and stigmatic heads, pollen producing capacity of the anthers and stigmatic exudations. Zn deficiency caused structural alterations in exine and retarded germination of pollen grains and tube growth. The pollen extracts and stigmatic exudates of the Zn-deficient plants showed increase in activity of acid phosphatase isoforms and inhibition of esterase isoforms. Zn deficiency led to decrease in number of pods, seeds per pod and seed mass, altered seed coat topography and reduced seeds germinability. Low seed yield under Zn deficiency is attributed to a role of Zn in pollen function, as also in pollen-pistil interaction conducive to fertilization and development of seeds.
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Abbreviations
- PPC:
-
pollen producing capacity
- SEM:
-
scanning electron microscopy
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Ackowledgement: We are grateful to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, for financial assistance under Project No. 38/0954/99/EMR-II and Director, National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow for SEM and AAS facility.
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Pandey, N., Pathak, G.C. & Sharma, C.P. Impairment in reproductive development is a major factor limiting yield of black gram under zinc deficiency. Biol Plant 53, 723–727 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-009-0131-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-009-0131-y