IN-VITRO POLLINATION - A NEW TOOL FOR ANALYZING ENVIRONMENTAL-STRESS

This chapter focuses on the effects of temperature, and particularly heat stress, on plant reproductive functions using maize as a model system. Environmental stress represents the most limiting factor to agricultural productivity. For major crop plants, the average losses in productivity due to stressful environment is estimated at 50–80% of their genetic potential. Although plants are able to tolerate some variations in their optimal growth conditions, temperature becomes lethal to the plant above a certain limit. The reproductive phase in the plant life cycle is particularly sensitive to heat stress. Because fertilization success is determined by a number of factors including pollen viability, female receptivity, and environmental influences that are impractical to test in the field, in vitro pollination is a useful technique for studying the fertilization process. Both pollination and culture are conducted under controlled nutritional and environmental conditions using this approach. The quality of male and female cells and tissues used for culture are necessary factors to ensure optimum in vitro fertilization. © 1992, Academic Press Inc.