A comparative study of the reproductive success of Theobroma Cacao L (malvaceae) undernatural and manual pollination

The reproductive successes under natural and manual pollination were assessed. Two cocoa farms around Bobiri Forest Reserve, in the Ejisu-Juabeng District Ghana were purposively selected. Fifteen percent of open flowers from five selected cocoa trees were subjected to manual-pollination and total exclusion. Ninety pods under natural pollination were compared with ninety pods under manually pollination. Proximate analysis was carried out to evaluate the macronutrients of cocoa pod and seeds produced under the two pollination modes. Results show that pollinator exclusion significantly decreased fruit set (df=2, X2 =12.5, P=0.00) and flower set (df= 2, F=25.2, P=0.00) (P=0.00). Pod weights and seed numbers significantly differed (V=0.049, F (4.49)=0.986, p<0.01, eta squared=0.049) irrespective of pod size and mode of pollination, however, there were individual differences. Weights of small pods did not differ (p>0.05) under the two pollination regimes, however, weights of medium size pods (p < 0.05) and that of the large pods (<0.05) produced under the two regimes of pollination differed. Number of beans and the size of pods did not differ under the two modes of pollination. Linear relationship existed between weight (y) and seed number (x) of individual pods: Y=18.56 + 0.016x; R2 =0.45. Macronutrients of pods and seeds did not differ (paired t test= 4.08, 29 d. f.; P=0.12) under the two pollination mode. The study concluded that natural pollination contributed to cocoa production.

Evaluation of morphological traits of flowers and crossing possibility of haskap (Lonicera L) cultivars depending on their origin

BACKGROUND: Haskap (Lonicera L.) is as a new perspective berry species for growing in temperate region climate. According to nowadays knowledge haskap is absolutely self-sterile species hence the studies on pollination mode are required. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to evaluate new haskap cultivars of Canadian and Russian origin in terms of their matching for cross-pollination. METHODS: The overlapping of flowering time of cultivars for mutual cross pollination was selected. The effectiveness of pollination was assessed: in terms of pollen tube overgrowth through the pistil tissue and the quality of set fruit. RESULTS: The Russian cultivars bloomed much earlier than the Canadian cultivars. The stigma is most receptive in the freshly open flower stage and directly after the anther burst. The minimum qualitatively acceptable weight of a berry is 1 g, which corresponds to the formation of about 6 seeds in the fruit. The most compatible pairs of cultivars were: ‘Aurora’בJugana’, ‘Aurora’בSinij Utes’ and ‘Aurora’בVostorg’. CONCLUSION: The Russian cultivars bloomed much earlier than the Canadian cultivars, the stigma is most receptive in the freshly open flower, minimum qualitatively acceptable weight of berry is 1 g (what represents 6 seeds in fruit), best mutual pollinating cultivars are the cultivars within the same breeding group (Russian x Russian and Canadian x Canadian)

Floral Scent Evolution in the Genus Jaborosa (Solanaceae): Influence of Ecological and Environmental Factors

Floral scent is a key communication channel between plants and pollinators. However, the contributions of environment and phylogeny to floral scent composition remain poorly understood. In this study, we characterized interspecific variation of floral scent composition in the genus Jaborosa Juss. (Solanaceae) and, using an ecological niche modelling approach (ENM), we assessed the environmental variables that exerted the strongest influence on floral scent variation, taking into account pollination mode and phylogenetic relationships. Our results indicate that two major evolutionary themes have emerged: (i) a ‘warm Lowland Subtropical nectar-rewarding clade’ with large white hawkmoth pollinated flowers that emit fragrances dominated by oxygenated aromatic or sesquiterpenoid volatiles, and (ii) a ‘cool-temperate brood-deceptive clade’ of largely fly-pollinated species found at high altitudes (Andes) or latitudes (Patagonian Steppe) that emit foul odors including cresol, indole and sulfuric volatiles. The joint consideration of floral scent profiles, pollination mode, and geoclimatic context helped us to disentangle the factors that shaped floral scent evolution across “pollinator climates” (geographic differences in pollinator abundance or preference). Our findings suggest that the ability of plants in the genus Jaborosa to colonize newly formed habitats during Andean orogeny was associated with striking transitions in flower scent composition that trigger specific odor-driven behaviors in nocturnal hawkmoths and saprophilous fly pollinators.

The effect of growing conditions and pollination mode on the Lonicera caerulea berry mass

The berry mass of the blue honeysuckle plants of different environmental and geographical provenance was shown to be affected by the weather conditions at the time of the fruit setting and ripening. Pollination by defective pollen and by the pollen of closely-related species resulted in the decreased berry mass.

Flower Diversification Across “Pollinator Climates”: Sensory Aspects of Corolla Color Evolution in the Florally Diverse South American Genus Jaborosa (Solanaceae)

Flower phenotype may diverge within plant lineages when moving across “pollinator climates” (geographic differences in pollinator abundance or preference). Here we explored the potential importance of pollinators as drivers of floral color diversification in the nightshade genus Jaborosa, taking into account color perception capabilities of the actual pollinators (nocturnal hawkmoths vs. saprophilous flies) under a geographic perspective. We analyzed the association between transitions across environments and perceptual color axes using comparative methods. Our results revealed two major evolutionary themes in Jaborosa: (1) a “warm subtropical sphingophilous clade” composed of three hawkmoth-pollinated species found in humid lowland habitats, with large white flowers that clustered together in the visual space of a model hawkmoth (Manduca sexta) and a “cool-temperate brood-deceptive clade” composed of largely fly-pollinated species with small dark flowers found at high altitudes (Andes) or latitudes (Patagonian Steppe), that clustered together in the visual space of a model blowfly (Lucilia sp.) and a syrphid fly (Eristalis tenax). Our findings suggest that the ability of plants to colonize newly formed environments during Andean orogeny and the ecological changes that followed were concomitant with transitions in flower color as perceived by different pollinator functional groups. Our findings suggest that habitat and pollination mode are inextricably linked in the history of this South American plant lineage.

What makes a fig: insights from a comparative analysis of inflorescence morphogenesis in Moraceae

Background and Aims Moraceae, the family of mulberry and fig trees, displays small homogeneous flowers but extremely diverse inflorescences ranging from simple and branched to complex and condensed. Inflorescences also vary in flower organization in the receptacle, in the degree of flower condensation, and in the receptacle shape. Thus, the objective of the present study was to compare the inflorescence morphogenesis of Moraceae species, to investigate whether clades with a similar pollination mode share the same patterns of inflorescence development and at which developmental stages do we observe the key changes resulting in the diversified inflorescence architecture that culminates in the Ficus syconium. Methods Inflorescences at different developmental stages were sampled from Brosimum gaudichaudii, Castilla elastica, Clarisia ilicifolia, Ficus pertusa, Maclura tinctoria and Morus nigra and processed for surface and anatomical analyses. Key Results The inflorescence morphogenesis of the studied species is highly variable. The shape of the inflorescence meristem (bulging, hemispheric or elongated), the initiation order and arrangement of flowers along the receptacle and the occurrence of bracts vary even between related species. This diversity originates early during inflorescence development. B. gaudichaudii, C. elastica and F. pertusa have flowers enclosed or immersed within the receptacle although inflorescences begin their development as flat and open structures, as occurs in the other three study species. Conclusion The comparison of the inflorescence morphogenesis in Moraceae species allows us to infer that evolutionary ontogenetic changes driven by pollinators culminate in the enclosure of flowers inside the receptacle, as occurs in the Ficus syconium.

Joint evolution of mycorrhizal type, pollination, and seed dispersal mode in trees

Mycorrhizal type, pollination, and seed dispersal mode are key drivers of tree diversity, but because they are usually studied in isolation, their evolutionary relationships are poorly understood. We investigated the evolutionary relationships among mycorrhizal type (arbuscular mycorrhizal [AM], ectomycorrhizal [EM], and AM + EM), seed dispersal mode (anemochorous, endozoochorous, and unspecialized), and pollination mode (biotic and wind) in 821 tree species. We found evidence of joint evolution of all three features. Most AM-associated trees had endozoochorous seed dispersal and biotic pollination, whereas most EM-associated trees had anemochorous seed dispersal and wind pollination. Overall, mycorrhizal type, seed dispersal mode, and pollination mode were linked, emphasizing the importance joint study of these traits for understand of tree diversity.