Breeding, Daffodil Types, Fertility, Hybridizing, Pollination, Science, Species

Hybrids of different narcissus species can be fertile by generating unreduced pollen

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In this spring I found many plants of intersectional diploid narcissus hybrids in Spain which were fertile by generating unreduced pollen. This may be of great interest for daffodil hybridizers and plant breeding in general. More information you find on www.theo-sanders-daffodils.de.

This is a pdf version of this information:

Hybrids Of Different Diploid Narcissus Species Can Be Fertile By Generating Unreduced Pollen

Theo

2 comments for “Hybrids of different narcissus species can be fertile by generating unreduced pollen”

  1. Thanks as always Theo.

    I will probably write another series of fertility updates this year once the results come in. I keep plugging away at these fertility problems.

    I have found that plants with demonstrable pollen fertility are nevertheless not always reliable pollen parents. And I have plants with significant pollen fertility that have never set seed. I understand people can get better results in protected conditions. For me, finding reliable seed parents of the desired type is an important step.

    I have also found that crosses that theoretically should give fertile inter-sectional hybrids do not always do so – not that surprising, I guess, but it is disappointing when it happens, particularly after waiting so long.

  2. Lawrence,

    It is not sure, that pollen which sprout in a special medium are able to successfully pollinate an adequate daffodil, but they ought to have a good chance to do so.

    I think a part of the daffodils and other plants which generate some XY- pollen, unreduced or by a meiotic process from XXY- parents, should have a certain degree of seed fertility too. It seems to be a good idea to self them to yield allotetraploid descendants.

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