Abstract

DIAZ ROMERO, Carolina; GARCIA, María Beatriz  and  CUENYA, María I.. Emasculation test of the inflorescences of two sugarcane varieties. Rev. ind. agric. Tucumán [online]. 2011, vol.88, n.2, pp.51-53. ISSN 1851-3018.

The initial stage of Programa de Mejoramiento de Caña de Azúcar of Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC) involves flowering induction in elite parents. The inflorescences obtained, which take part in biparental crosses, are hermaphrodite panicles with a variable degree of dehiscence and pollen viability. Flowers are emasculated both to prevent selfing and to use varieties with usual male behaviour as females, thus exploring their cytoplasmic inheritance. This study aimed to test the efficiency of the technique of sugarcane inflorescence emasculation by immersion in water at 50°C, for five minutes. RA 87-3 (Ae) and LCP 85-384 (Be) varieties were emasculated, while keeping inflorescences of both varieties under no emasculation: RA 87-3 (A) and LCP 85-384 (B). With a microscope, pollen was observed in A and B, but not in Ae and Be. Ae x B and Be x A crosses and self-fertilization of A, Ae, B and Be (Aa, Aea, Bea Ba, respectively) were conducted, with two replications in each case. The seeds obtained from Aa and Ba produced 14 and 23 seedlings (average/g), respectively, which constituted evidence of self-compatibility. Aea and Bea panicles did not generate any viable seedlings, which proved this technique to be efficient. The seed from Ae x B and Be x A crosses produced 139 and 129 seedlings (average/g), respectively, indicating that the fertility of female floral structures had been preserved in panicles that had undergone emasculation.

Keywords : Pollen; Viability; Crosses; Sexual seed.

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