Microsporogenesis, Pollen Ornamentation, Viability of Stored Taxodium distichum var. distichum Pollen and Its Feasibility for Cross Breeding

Abstract

Taxodium Rich is well known for its flooding tolerance and has great ecological and economic potential. A comprehensive understanding of pollen characteristics and storage capacity is important for breeding and genetic resource conservation of the genus. In this study, we observed the microsporogenesis and pollen ornamentation, studied the conditions of in vitro pollen germination, compared the difference in pollen viability of T. distichum var. distichum measured by in vitro germination and TTC staining, analyzed the change in pollen viability after different storage times and the feasibility of using stored pollen for cross breeding. Results indicated that the pollen mother cells of T. distichum var. distichum begin to enter the meiosis stage one month before the male strobilus disperse, reach metaphase 10 days after meiosis and form pollen grains three to five days after tetrad development. Pollen germination rate topped in the culture medium of 0.012% boric acid under 30 °C after 48 h, reaching 66.81%. The TTC staining demonstrated that the pollen viability of T. distichum var. distichum TD-4 and TD-5 were 97.78% and 80.54%, 98.96% and 91.67%, and 83.67% and 21.75% after one-, two- and three-year storage at −20 °C, which is significantly higher than (p < 0.05) that of 17.02 and 27.04%, 2.77% and 12.82%, and 0 determined by the in vitro cultivation. It is feasible to use pollen of T. distichum var. distichum TD-4 and TD-5 stored at −20 °C for one year for artificial hybridization, and the fruit setting rate and seed germination rate were 10.94 and 36.79%, and 11.47 and 65.76%, respectively.