2025/02/25 by Meiyan Cui, Hyein Lee, Hyunseung Hwang +1 · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Plant and animal studies #Berry genetics and cultivation research #Plant Reproductive Biology
paper · doi:10.1080/14620316.2025.2465764
openalex publication_date 2025/02/25 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/14
This study investigated how low temperatures affect pollen germination and floral organs in ‘Maehyang’ and ‘Seolhyang’ strawberries. The plants were grown in a plant factory during the day and transferred to chambers set at 5, 10, 15 or 20°C at night. Under warm nights, pollen viability decreased in the second cluster of ‘Maehyang’ and in the third cluster of ‘Seolhyang.’ At 20°C, pollen viability improved in the third cluster of ‘Maehyang,’ but was reduced in ‘Seolhyang’ at 5 and 15°C compared with 10°C. ‘Seolhyang’ had higher pollen germination than ‘Maehyang,’ except at 15°C in the first cluster. Temperature affected the size of the pollen grain in all clusters of ‘Maehyang,’ but only in the first cluster of ‘Seolhyang.’ ‘Maehyang’ flowers displayed distinctive characteristics, including elongated receptacles, more rows of ovules, shorter pistils, and smoother surfaces with more stigmatic papillae than ‘Seolhyang.’ These findings indicate that the cultivar susceptibility to specific night temperatures influences pollen quality across developmental stages, combined with distinct floral morphology, impacts fruit formation and yield potential. Understanding the temperature responses of floral organs can support breeding programmes to develop temperature-tolerant cultivars and inform cultivation strategies for commercial strawberry production, ultimately enhancing yields and ensuring high fruit quality.