‘Thermally aided pollination’: A new method of breaking self-incompatibility in Brassica oleracea L.

Summary Application of heat during self-pollination of open flowers by means of an electric mini soldering iron resulted in seed set in self-incompatible Brassica oleracea varieties. Temperatures of 60, 70 and 80°C were tested. Compared with bud-pollination, in some cases the so-called thermally aided pollination (TAP) method, gave a considerably higher seed yield at 70 and 80°C. In view of the ease and rapidity of TAP it should be ascertained how far this method can replace bud-pollination in maintaining inbred lines. The possible mechanism behind the TAP response is briefly discussed.