Summary
Pollen grains from selected cutivars of almond [Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D. A. Webb] and peach (Prunus persica Batsch L.) were exposed to a range of temperatures between 1°C and 34°C on a thermogradient plate. Pollen germination at temperatures below 9°C was conspicuously greater in almond than peach. Miximal germination percentages were attained at about 16°C (almond) and 23°C (peach). The two species did not differ in their capacity for pollen tube elongation over a broad range of temperatures. Maximal pollen tube elongation occurred at temperatures 5°C to 8°C higher than maximal pollen germination. Species affiliation appeared to be of much greater consequence than chilling requirement or bloom date of the sporophyte in predicting gametophytic response to temperature.
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Weinbaum, S.A., Parfitt, D.E. & Polito, V.S. Differential cold sensitivity of pollen grain germination in two Prunus species. Euphytica 33, 419–426 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00021139
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00021139