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Causes of low seed set in white clover ( Trifolium repens L.)
Author(s) -
PASUMARTY S. V.,
MATSUMURA T.,
HIGUCHI S.,
YAMADA T.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
grass and forage science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1365-2494
pISSN - 0142-5242
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2494.1993.tb01839.x
Subject(s) - ovule , biology , pollen , pollination , gynoecium , trifolium repens , human fertilization , sterility , perennial plant , pollen tube , agronomy , botany , cultivar , horticulture , stamen
A field experiment was conducted to clarify the factors responsible for poor seed set in four white clover ( Trifolium repens L.) cultivars. Although the mean number of ovules per floret was 5·18–5·29, the average number of seeds per floret was found to be only 1·23‐1·82. A stainclearing technique was used to examine the cytoplasmic state of the embryo sac in intact, unfertilized, mature ovules and it was found that 28–33% of ovules per carpel were sterile. The abortion rate of fertilized ovules and immature seeds (7 days after pollination) ranged between 32 and 34%. Beyond this period, it was observed that only a very small proportion of the total seeds were lost. The observation of high pollen fertility and a high pollen load strongly suggests that poor pollination does not account for the reduced number of seeds per floret. A ‘nutrient competition’ hypothesis was proposed for high ovule sterility and post‐fertilization abortion of developing seeds.

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