HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Barnes, D. K. Articles by Garboucheva, R. A. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Barnes, D. K. Articles by Garboucheva, R. A. Agricola Articles by Barnes, D. K. Articles by Garboucheva, R. A.

Intra-Plant Variation for Pollen Production in Male-sterile and Fertile Alfalfa¹

In Medicago saliva L. intra-plant variation in pollen production occurred in partially male-sterile clones, but it was not associated with either flower position on the plant or sampling date. The variation occurred at random throughout the plant. Anthers within the same flower varied for both number of pollen grains and percentage of normal pollen grains.

The average number of pollen grains per anther varied among clones from about 440 to 850. The free anther had only about two-thirds as many pollen grains as each of the remaining nine anthers. The number of normal pollen grains correlated with visual estimates of the amount of dehisced pollen, r = .854**, 11 d.f. Pollen abortion in male-sterile plants apparently reduced internal pressure sufficiently to prevent rupture of the anther wall and extrusion of pollen.

Key Words: Genetic and cytoplasmic male sterility • Classification of male sterility • Medicago sativa L.

² Research Geneticist, ARS, USDA (Address: Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101); and Former FAO Fellow with the USDA at the University of Minnesota (Present address: Institute of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Sofia, Bulgaria).

Received for publication February 3, 1973.