In vitro pollination and fluorescence microscopy for characterization of gametophytic self-incompatibility of Coffea canephora Pierre ex A. Froehner

Abstract The objectives of this study were to optimize in vitro pollination and fluorescence microscopy procedures to characterize the gametophytic self-incompatibility of Coffea canephora genotypes. For that purpose, 115 in vitro pollinations were carried out among 30 parent plants of the Conilon (17) and Robusta (13) botanical varieties. Tester plants of compatibility groups I, II, and III were used as pollen grain donors. On the day of anthesis, pollen grains of the donor genotypes were transferred in vitro to one of the sides of the bifid stigma of each receptor flower. After 30 hours, the development of the pollen tubes was evaluated in fluorescence microscopy. Eleven genotypes (37%) were classified in compatibility Group I, thirteen (43%) in Group II, and six (20%) in Group III. In vitro pollination allowed reduction in the time necessary to diagnose compatibility, without exhibiting contamination caused by the presence of pollen grains of non-donor plants.