ISHS Acta Horticulturae 545: V International Protea Research Symposium
ADVANCES IN UNDERSTANDING HYBRIDIZATION OF PROTEA L. |
| Authors: | G.M. Littlejohn, A. Robyn, S. Gertse |
| Keywords: | cross-pollination, germination, Proteaceae, seed set |
| Abstract:
Interspecific hybridization in Protea has long been plagued by very low seed set. Success of interspecific seed set following controlled hand-pollination is very variable. Investigations revealed that placing of the pollinated florets on the involucral receptacle plays a role in the success of hybridization. Florets grouped into clusters on the involucral receptacle, rather than in a concentric ring improved seed set rates across a spectrum of controlled hand-pollination combinations. Use of taxonomic relatedness for planning cross combinations improved seed set further. Differences in the time frame of stigmatic groove opening were observed between and within species and hybrids. It is probable that further improvement of seed set can be obtained by determining optimal timing of the opening of the stigmatic groove, rather than using a common time frame for all crosses. | |
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