Open AccessTesting culture media for pollen germination of Elaeis guineensis Jacq. (oil palm, Arecaceae)
Author(s) -
Sousa Alexsandro S.,
Santos Marília G. M.,
Pelacani Claudinéia R.,
Santos Francisco de Assis R.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
botanical journal of the linnean society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.872
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1095-8339
pISSN - 0024-4074
DOI - 10.1111/boj.12404
Subject(s) - germination , pollen , elaeis guineensis , biology , petri dish , botany , arecaceae , horticulture , sucrose , distilled water , palm oil , palm , food science , chemistry , physics , chromatography , quantum mechanics , genetics
Understanding pollen germination is of great importance for breeding and conservation. We present a protocol for evaluating culture media for germination of pollen of Elaeis guineensis . Samples were collected in the municipality of Nilo Peçanha (State of Bahia, Brazil). A solution of aniline blue in lactophenol was used to determine viability of pollen grains. Two alternative culture media to evaluate germination rates of pollen grains were tested: M1, Brewbaker and Kwack medium; and M2, BC a medium, with addition of boron and calcium. Both media were used with 20% sucrose at pH 6.5. The pollen grains were dried at room temperature in silica gel for 4 h and later placed on slides containing culture media, kept in a Petri dish with filter paper wetted with distilled water and stored in chamber at 30 °C for 24 h. The greatest viability rate was 94% for fresh pollen grains. Highest germination rates were 26 and 64% for M1 and M2, respectively. There was no positive correlation between viability and germination for either M1 or M2 (Pearson's and Spearman's correlation, respectively). Dried pollen on BC a medium (M2) is useful for in vitro germination experiments of E. guineensis given appropriate concentration of sucrose and ions, pH , temperature and incubation time and in the absence of light.