Pollen plant analysis of different sunflower genotypes

Pollen analysis makes it possible to determine the reproductive potential of sunflower plants by the morphological characteristics of pollen grains with the aim of breeding to increase yields. The research was carried out in 2019-2020 at V.S. Pustovoit AllRussian Research Institute of Oil Crops, Krasnodar. The objects of the research were plants of cultivated sunflower Helianthus annuus L.: four hybrids - Factor, Typhoon, Oxy and NK Brio, confectionery variety Djinn, two parental lines of the hybrid Oxy -VK876 B and VK195, as well as a perennial wildgrowing hexaploid species H. tuberosus L. Pollen was stained with acetoorcein and viewed under a microscope Micros MS 20. The diameter of pollen grains in the hybrids Factor, NK Brio, Typhoon, Oxy, the line VK195 and the cultivar Djinn varied from 34 to 31 pm. The line VK876 B and H. tuberosus were characterized by the lowest values of this trait - 29 and 27 pm, respectively. For the line VK876 B and the hybrid Oxy, significant morphological heterogeneity of pollen was observed, which was expressed in a correspondingly high proportion of abnormal pollen grains - 34 and 26%. At the same time, there was a two-peak distribution of the values of the diameter of pollen grains. The morphological heterogeneity of the pollen grains of the hybrid Oxy is associated with the dominant inheritance of this trait from the maternal CMS-form VK876 A, since the paternal line VK195 has a normal characteristic of pollen grains. The pollen of the hybrid NK Brio showed a significantly higher (by 25%) seed setting in crossing with the CMS tester than that of the hybrid Oxy, which confirms the assumption that there is a relation between an increased proportion of abnormal pollen grains and reduced pollen fertility.