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Reproductive biology and breeding system in Casuarina equisetifolia (Casuarinaceae) – implication for genetic improvement

Authors :
David Bush
Qingbin Jiang
K. Pinyopusarerk
Chonglu Zhong
Yong Zhang
Q. Han
Yu Chen
Zhen Chen
Source :
Australian Journal of Botany. 64:120
Publication Year :
2016
Publisher :
CSIRO Publishing, 2016.

Abstract

Understanding the reproductive biology of plant species is essential for successful domestication and genetic improvement programs. Casuarina equisetifolia L. is an important plantation species in China and India but information on reproductive biology is limited. To address this issue, grafted ramets of C. equisetifolia were used to study floral biology, breeding system and progeny performance. The female floral longevity of C. equisetifolia reached 28.4 days under non-pollination conditions, which was significantly longer than that of supplementary pollination (5.5 days) and open pollination (12.2 days), implying successful pollination would accelerate senescence of female flowers. Higher fruit set (88.8%) and seed set (35.7%) under supplementary pollination were obtained, compared with 75.9% and 21.7%, respectively, under open pollination, although there were no fruit set and seed set under non-pollination conditions. Pollen limitation was evident based on pollen limitation index (0.39) in seedling plantations of C. equisetifolia. Selfed seedlings had low height and diameter growth in both nursery and field trials and markedly lower survival in field trial, indicating inbreeding depression. Microsatellite-based estimates of selfing rate of open pollinated, monoecious individuals was 42%, suggesting that monoecious C. equisetifolia individuals are self-compatible, and that the breeding system should be classified as facultative xenogamy.

Details

ISSN :
00671924
Volume :
64
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Australian Journal of Botany
Accession number :
edsair.doi...........a057e41b95e19e7a92d777a5e8f21adb
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1071/bt15184