Research Projects

Chrysanthemum cultivars are typically developed through hybridization breeding, emasculation, and artificial cross pollination techniques. However, the presence of genetic self-incompatibility and sporophytic self-incompatibility poses significant challenges in hybrid breeding and producing pure lines. These cultivars often yield low seed sets due to various factors governing self-fertility, such as the type of self-incompatibility mechanism, S-allele action, S-phenotype distribution, and suitable pollinators. Reproductive biology in chrysanthemum is specific to pollen viability, pistil receptivity, pollen germination on stigma, embryo growth, and seed set percentage. Most chrysanthemum cultivars yield very low seed sets compared to the number of ray florets in their capitulum. The exact reasons for low fertility and reproductive morphology in cultivated chrysanthemum species remain unknown. Developing pure lines in chrysanthemum is crucial for exploiting hybrid vigor, which can be achieved by inbreeding self-compatible cultivars for generations. The capitulum consists of outer pistillate ray florets and central bisexual tubular florets, which require removal of central hermaphrodite disc florets during emasculation. The impact of these approaches on pollen development, pistil receptivity, and reproductive biology remains unexplored in diverse chrysanthemum genotypes.