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Pollen viability and stigma receptivity in Lilium during anthesis

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Abstract

Pollen viability and stigma receptivity are prerequisites for successful pollination and seed set in flowering plants. In this study, the pollen viabilities and stigma receptivities of nine Lilium genotypes (six cultivars and three species native to China) were assayed by in vitro pollen germination and the benzidine-H2O2 method, respectively. Embryo sac development during anthesis was observed to further ensure the timing of controlled pollination. In addition, the relationship between stigma secretion and stigma receptivity was studied to estimate the pollination time based on phenotype. Anthers cracked on the day of flowering in all genotypes, but pollen germination during anthesis was not observed in Asiatic hybrids excepted for ‘Tiny pudhye’, which exhibited low pollen viability for a short period of time (from 0 to 1 day after anthesis). In the other genotypes, pollen germination rates were highest on anthesis (five of seven genotypes), 0–1 day after anthesis (L. sulphureum), or 0–2 days after anthesis (one Longiflorum hybrid), and then gradually decreased with days after anthesis. While, stigma receptivity first increased and then decreased during anthesis. For most genotypes, stigmas began to be receptive 1 day after anthesis, and all genotypes exhibited stigma receptivity at 2 days after anthesis. The durations of stigma receptivity and strongest stigma receptivity, were genotype dependent, and were 5–8 days and 1–4 days, respectively. Moreover, on the first flowering day, 6 of 7 genotypes had mature embryo sacs, and at the time at which stigmas began to be receptive, all tested genotypes had mature embryo sacs. Some Lilium genotypes showed stigma secretion, which can be a sign of stigma receptivity. Stigmas became receptive and reached highest receptivity within 1 day of the first appearance of secretion on the surface of the stigma and at peaking, respectively. The results of this study are valuable for the implementation of successful Lilium breeding programs.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31301804), the Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest (201203071), the Chinese National Key Technology R&D Program (2012BAD01B0701), the National Center for Flower Improvement, and the Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, P. R. China. We also acknowledge partial funding from the Science and Technology Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS-ASTIP-2016-IVFCAAS).

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China

      Guoren He, Jun Ming, Chun Liu & Suxia Yuan

    2. College of Landscape Architecture, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China

      Guoren He & Fengrong Hu

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    1. Guoren He
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    Correspondence to Suxia Yuan.

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    Guoren He and Fengrong Hu have contributed equally to this work.

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    He, G., Hu, F., Ming, J. et al. Pollen viability and stigma receptivity in Lilium during anthesis. Euphytica 213, 231 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-017-2019-9

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