Assessment of Cassava Pollen Viability and Ovule Fertilizability under Red-Light, 6-Benzyl Adenine, and Silver Thiosulphate Treatments.

Understanding pollen and ovule fertility as factors influencing fruit and seed set is important in cassava breeding. Extended daylength with red light (RL) and plant growth regulators (PGRs) have been used to induce flowering and fruit set in cassava without any reference to effects on pollen viability or ovule fertilizability. This study investigated the effects of field-applied RL and PGR on pollen viability and ovule fertilizability. Panels of cassava genotypes with early or moderate flowering responses were used. RL was administered from dusk to dawn. Two PGRs, 6-benzyl adenine (BA), a cytokinin and silver thiosulphate (STS), an anti-ethylene, were applied. Pollen viability was assessed based on pollen grain diameter, in vitro stainability, in vivo germinability, ovule fertilizability, and ploidy level. Treating flowers with RL increased the pollen diameter from 145.6 in control to 148.5 µm in RL, 78.5 to 93.0% in stainability, and 52.0 to 56.9% in ovule fertilizability in treated female flowers. The fruit set also increased from 51.5 in control to 71.8% in RL-treated female flowers. The seed set followed a similar trend. The ploidy level of pollen from RL-treated flowers increased slightly and was positively correlated with pollen diameter (