ISHS Acta Horticulturae 636: XXVI International Horticultural Congress: Key Processes in the Growth and Cropping of Deciduous Fruit and Nut Trees
NECTAR ANALYSIS, POLLEN PRODUCTION AND ANTHOCYANIN MEASUREMENTS, REVEALED DISTINCT VARIATIONS IN PEARS |
| Authors: | M. Sharifani, J.F. Jackson |
| Keywords: | nectar analysis, pollen production, anthocyanin, pear |
| Abstract:
The present investigation was undertaken to analyze and measure amino acids and sugars in nectars of different pear species and cultivars. The pear species included were P. betulaefolia, P. longipes, P. koroshinsky, P. brestcherienideri, P. boissierana and P. cossoni. The pear cultivars were; ‘Packham’s Triumph’ ‘Josephine’, ‘Lemon Bergomot’, ‘Sensation’ and ‘Nijisseiki’. Pollen production per 50 flowers for each of these pears was measured. For nectar extraction, one hundred open flowers were picked. All the calyxes, which contained nectar, soaked in distilled water for 20 minutes. The mixture was filtered. Then 25 ml of this solution was freeze dried and 5 ml distilled water was added to the remaining solid. An HPLC analyser with an amino Quanta C18 column was used to analyze the samples. Sucrose, glucose and fructose were measured with an enzyme kit. The results showed that there was a high degree of variability within the free amino acids of pears. Asparagine was found to be present in the highest concentration followed by glutamine, asparatic acid, glutamic acid, serine, alanine, argenine and proline. The lowest total sugar was found for P. boissierana and the highest was found for P. cossoni. There was a different pattern for sucrose concentration among pears. Some pears, such as ‘Lemon Bergomot’, ‘Josephine’, ‘Nijisseiki’, P. longipes and P. koroshinsky had no or low amounts of sucrose, while other pears, such as ‘Sensation’, P. betuleafolia and ‘Packham’s Triumph’ had relatively high amounts of sucrose (290 to 100 mg/l) A dramatic variation was observed in pollen production of these pears. The highest amount was exhibited by ‘Packham’s Triumph’ 74 mg/50 flowers. Three groups of pears were distinguished, based on anthocyanin measurements. | |
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