Abstract:
To determine the effect of bud pollination, compared to pollination
of open flowers and crossing, on field characteristics of broccoli progenies,
an experiment was conducted in 1974 and 1975 at Corvallis, Oregon.
Single plants of 55 broccoli lines were pollinated, using four methods,
i.e. bud pollination (BP), open flower pollination (OS), open flower pollination
with ether treatment as an aid (OSE), and crossing with a common
parent (CP).
BP resulted in a substantially greater number of seed set per cluster
than OS or OSE and slightly less than CP. There was a significant overall
effect of pollination methods on seed weight, but it was the result of
greater seed weight resulting from CP compared to other treatments. Broccoli
lines differed greatly in seed weight and number of seeds per cluster.
The use of ether did not significantly increase number of seed per cluster
or seed weight.
Thirty-nine lines were direct seeded in the field. Because of seed
shortages and seedling losses, the experimental design of four replications
in a randomized block was complete for only seven lines, and a
total of 20 lines had at least one replication for each treatment.
Separate analyses were made of the data for these seven lines and 20
lines respectively.
In the field-grown progenies, the quantitative characteristics of
plant height, plant weight, and head diameter, were greater for CP,
intermediate for OS-OSE, and lowest for BP. Head weight was similarly,
but less conclusively affected. Number of days to head emergence was
longer in progenies from BP than OS-OSE, and those from OS-OSE took longer
than progenies from CP. Number of days to harvest maturity followed
the same pattern in the analysis of 20 lines but was inconclusive in the
analysis of seven lines. Results for floret size and rosetting were
generally inconclusive. The experiment generally supported the hypothesis
that BP results in progenies with less plant vigor than those pollinated
after normal anthesis (OS). The use of ether as an aid in open
flower pollination generally had no effect on the field characteristics
of resulting progenies.
