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Published on: March 20, 2019
Stamen development and winter dormancy in apricot (Prunus armeniaca)
C Julian1, J Rodrigo, M Herrero
1Unidad de Fruticultura, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón, Av. Montañana 930, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain.
Flower bud dormancy in apricot (Prunus armeniaca) involves stamen development, with sporogenous tissue forming before dormancy. Breaking dormancy initiates meiosis and microspore development, offering insights into winter dormancy and chilling requirements.
Area of Science:
- Plant reproductive biology
- Woody perennial physiology
- Dormancy research
Background:
- Temperate woody perennials require winter dormancy for adequate flowering.
- The biological events underlying bud dormancy are not well understood.
- Stamen development provides a framework for studying dormancy in a developmental context.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize stamen developmental changes in apricot (Prunus armeniaca).
- To relate these developmental changes to the process of winter dormancy.
- To provide a developmental context for understanding dormancy and chilling requirements.
Main Methods:
- Cytochemical characterization of stamen development over four years (August to March).
- Relating developmental changes to dormancy using empirical chilling requirement data.
Main Results:
- Stamen development continued into autumn, with buds entering dormancy possessing fully developed sporogenous tissue.
- No anatomical changes were observed during dormancy.
- Breaking dormancy involved starch accumulation, vascular bundle development, and meiosis leading to microspore development.
Conclusions:
- Dormancy acts as a boundary between sporogenous tissue development and meiosis.
- Breaking dormancy follows a distinct sequence of events.
- This study provides a developmental framework for investigating winter dormancy and genotype-specific chilling requirements.
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