New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science abstracts
Olive pollination: flowers and pollen of two cultivars of Olea europaea
F. Orlandi
F. Ferranti
B. Romano
M. Fornaciari
Department of Plant Biology
and Agroenvironmental Biotechnology
University of Perugia
Borgo XX Giugno 74
06121, Perugia, Italy
email: mfdp@unipg.it
Abstract The economic and historical importance of this wind-pollinated species (Olea europaea) in the Mediterranean area has stimulated a lot of research. Some of these investigations have studied the reproductive phases up to fruit formation, with particular focus on the flowering period. To evaluate the pollinating process, micro- and macro-morphological analyses were carried out for 3 years on an experimental olive grove with two cultivars (‘Ascolana Tenera’ and ‘Giarraffa’). The macro-morphological data show relevant differences (tree-crown volume and number of inflorescences) and similarities (the mean number of flowers per inflorescence) between the cultivars. Micro-morphological analyses determined the mean number of pollen grains per anther in ‘Giarraffa’, used as the “polliniser”; at the same time, for the stigmas, this analysis provided the potential pollen quantity captured by ‘Ascolana Tenera’ “used as the “pollinated” plant. This type of investigation improves knowledge on the formation cycle of olive fruit, taking into consideration that more than one olive cultivar is normally used in the groves, because of self-sterility.
Keywords fruit production; reproductive biology; morphological analyses; Olea europaea
H02032 Received 13 May 2002; accepted 15 October 2002; published 12 June 2003
New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science, 2003, Vol. 31: 159-168
0014-0671/03/3102-0159 $7.00 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2003
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