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Male Sterility and Partial Male Sterility in Sunflowers¹

Two types of genetic male sterility in sunflowers are described. The first, discovered at Bloomington, Indiana, produces no pollen or pollen grains of uneven size which are clumped and do not stain with aceto-carmine. The second, found at Morden, Manitoba, always produces pollen. The grains are smaller than normal, nonstaining and not clumped. Three crosses of the Bloomington stock indicated the character is controlled by a single recessive gene and two others indicated duplicate genes. More consistent results with the Morden stock showed a single recessive gene governs the male sterility in it, and that this gene is not linked to a recessive gene for branching or to another for dwarf plant. The F₁ of reciprocal intercrosses of the two stocks was normal indicating that genetic control of the male sterility in them differs.

Partial male sterility, characterized by varying proportions of normal pollen, occurred in breeding material of two lines. It appears possible to select lines with only 10 to 20% normal pollen and that such lines can be maintained easily. These lines cross well when naturally pollinated and it is concluded that they offer a better prospect for producing commercial hybrid seed of sunflowers than the genetic male sterility.

² Research Scientist, Canada Department of Agriculture and Professor Department of Botany, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.

Received for publication October 2, 1965.