The SEM observation in four plum genotypes (Prunus domestica L.)

Abstract

In systematic approach, Prunus domestica L. (European plum) belongs to the family Rosaceae L. and it is an important fruit species, interesting for various forms of industrial and domestic processing, and for fresh consumption. Examination of the pollen morphological structure is of great significance in taxonomy, phylogeny due to the fact that the pollen grains have a definitive size, structure and shape for each species, genus and family. Pollen grain at the time of its maturity has a three-layer coating: an exine, an intina and a pollen coat. According to the Hebda and Chinnappa, in most of the genera in the subfamilies of Prunoideae, Maloideae and Spiroideae, pollen grains are tricolpate, with large perforations in the furrow between the ridge. Major plant breeding programme in the Fruit Research Institute, Čačak, was to breeding new cultivars of European plum using autochthonous and introduced genotypes as the parental combinations within the planned hybridization. This program produced ‘Čačanska Najbolja’ (1975) and ‘Pozna Plava’ (1980). ‘Hanita’ and ‘Presenta’ were cultivars, introduced at the University of Hohenheim, Germany.