Fertility alteration in the photo-thermo-sensitive male sterile line BS20 of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.).

The photo-thermo-sensitive male sterile (PTMS) wheat line BS20 showed male sterility under short-day photoperiod and low temperature conditions. Photo-thermo-controlled growth chambers were used to study the fertility alteration characteristics of PTMS wheat line BS20. The period of photo-sensitivity and thermo-sensitivity was coincident with the pollen development stages from pollen mother cell (PMC) formation to mono-nucleate. Fertility alteration of BS20 was induced mainly by temperature, and the critical point of temperature was 10–12∘C. Below the critical temperature, BS20 remained sterile and was not affected by photoperiod. However, above the critical temperature, the fertility of BS20 improved as the temperature rose. In the temperature range of 12–14∘C the fertility of BS20 improved significantly as the photoperiod extended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]