Pollen and coenocytic microspore germination in male-fertile and malesterilemsl soybean

Summary Light and fluorescence microscopy were used to study coenocytic microspore germination from male-sterile (ms1 ms1) soybean plants. Anther squashes from male-sterile plants revealed that a low frequency of natural coenocytic microspore germination occurred in male-sterile anthers of four independent lines; [ms1-North carolina (T260H),ms1-Urbana (T266H),ms1-Tonica (T267H), andms1-Ames (T268H)]. Abnormalities such as giant tubes, branched tubes, tubes with swollen areas, and multiple tubes were observed from coenocytic microspores from all four lines. The Urbana line, however, demonstrated a higher percentage of coenocytic microspore germination than did the other three lines. Flowers of the Urbana line from both malefertile and male-sterile plants, as well as gynoecia pollinated with coenocytic microspores from sterile plants, were used for in vivo studies. Pollen-tube growth appeared normal in male-fertile plants. In contrast, coenocytic microspore tubes rarely were observed in gynoecia from male-sterile plants or in gynoecia from malefertile plants that had been artificially cross-pollinated withms1 ms1 plants. Few tubes from coenocytic microspores were observed in the vicinity of the micropylar region. A low frequency of seed set was achieved in the greenhouse on Urbana male-sterile plants grown in the absence of male-fertile plants. Thus, we believe either that some gametes from coenocytic microspores are able to participate in fertilization at low frequency or that apomixis occurs inms1 ms1 plants.Joint contribution: Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Journal Paper No. J-12310 of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, Ames IA, 50011 USA. Project 2471.