Author(s): MACHADO, C. de A.; VENDRAME, W. A.; RUBIO NETO, A.; CHAGAS, E. A.; CHAGAS, P. C.; LEDO, A. da S.

Summary: Lethal yellowing is a disease that causes severe damages to coconut palms and it has devastated the coconut canopy of several Caribbean islands, and areas of southern Florida. The Fiji dwarf coconut accession has demonstrated tolerance to this disease. Pollen storage and germination provides useful information for conservation strategy and genetic improvement programs. The objective of this study was to evaluate pollen viability of Fiji dwarf coconut by in vitro germination under different nutritional and abiotic conditions. For the first experiment, two liquid culture media were evaluated for in vitro germination of Fiji dwarf coconut pollen; the Lora culture medium and the Armendariz culture medium combined with four temperature levels. In the second experiment, different sucrose concentrations in the Lora culture medium (4, 8, 12 and 16%) were evaluated combined with two incubation times (6 and 24 h) in the presence or absence of light. The highest in vitro germination of pollen grain was obtained in Lora culture medium by 24 h incubation period at 28 ºC. The light condition does not influence the germination process. In vitro germination percentage improved as the sucrose concentration increased according to a linear regression. In contrast, damage pollen grain percentage reduced according to a quadratic regression.

Publication year: 2021

Types of publication: Journal article

Unit: Embrapa Roraima

Keywords: Coco, Coconuts, Doença de Planta, Germinação, Germinação in vitro, Pólen