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Table 6 "Giant" pollen observations in Brassica juncea × B. napus (AABC), B. juncea × B. carinata (BBAC) and B. napus × B. carinata (CCAB) hybrids.

From: Production of viable male unreduced gametes in Brassica interspecific hybrids is genotype specific and stimulated by cold temperatures

Parental species in hybrid

Hybrid combination

No. of plants

Average pollen viabilityÆ—

Average self-pollinated seed set

Total viable pollen measured

Giant pollen

Giant pollen (% of viable pollen)Æ—

B. j × B. c

J1C1

14

   6%ab

99

443

1

   0.2%a

B. j × B. c

J1C2

6

   7%ab

127

626

11

   1.8%a

B. j × B. n

J1N1

8

   14%b

0

353

21

   5.9%b

B. j × B. n

J1N2

4

   4%ab

6

227

76

   33.5%c

B. j × B. n

J1N3

4

   12%ab

3

524

50

   9.5%b

B. j × B. n

J1N4

3

   9%ab

2

372

55

   14.8%b

B. j × B. n

J1N5

8

   26%c

4

208

20

   9.6%b

B. n × B. c

N1C1

1

   1%a

0

21

4

   19.0%abc

B. n × B. c

N1C2

4

   2%a

3

86

26

   30.2%c

B. n × B. c

N2C2

6

   0%a

0

0

-

   -

B. n × B. c

N3C1

1

   0%abc

0

0

-

   -

B. n × B. c

N4C1

2

   0%ab

0

0

-

   -

B. n × B. c

N4C2

6

   0%a

0

0

-

   -

 

Total

67

Av: 6%***

19***

2860

264

Av: 13.8%***

  1. *** Significant differences between genotypes (p < 0.001, one-way ANOVA)
  2. Æ— Numbers in the same column followed by the same letters are not significantly different (pairwise t-tests with Holm p-adjustment method for multiple comparisons).
  3. Hybrids were produced between five genotypes of B. napus (B. n: N1, N2, N3, N4 and N5), two genotypes of B. carinata (B. c: C1 and C2) and one genotype of B. juncea (B. j: J1). Hypothetical "giant" pollen size in the hybrids was estimated under the assumptions that a) doubling DNA content would double pollen grain volume, and b) that reduced pollen in hybrids would have a maximum DNA content of 1.5 times parent (2x) DNA content. Hybrid combinations with different maternal parent but the same two parent genotypes were pooled after the model unreduced gametes ~ hybrid genotype + maternal parent revealed no significant effect of maternal parent on unreduced gamete production.