Evaluation of the course of microsporogenesis in some selected peach (Prunus persica L./Batsch) cultivars

Abstract

The evaluation of the microsporogenesis process was performed from January to April within the period of 2011–2013. The experiment involved 15 peach cultivars and the control cultivar Redhaven. The course of microsporogenesis was evaluated on the base of microscopic observations. 

It was found out that cultivars under study differed not only in the total length of microsporogenesis but also in dates of the onset of individual developmental stages. The shortest period of the development of pollen grains was detected in the cultivar W 13 (viz. 89 days) while the longest ones were found out in cultivars W 43 and Super Queen (in both of them the average duration of microsporogenesis was 106 days. In the control cultivar Redhaven the average length of the period of microsporogenesis was 104 days. In individual cultivars, the course of microsporogenesis was different and was dependent on meteorological conditions existing in individual years.