Pollen–pistil interaction studies in mango (Mangifera indica L.) cultivars

• Effects of self- and open-pollination on pollen germination, pollen tube growth, fruit set, ovule degeneration and growth of fruitlets were compared.
• During 48 h after self-pollination, pollen tube growth in stylar region of Amrapali and Mallika was considerably slower than Pusa Arunima and Pusa Surya.
• Self-pollination resulted in 75% degenerated ovules in Amrapali and Mallika, which dropped within 21 days. However, open-pollination resulted in only 20% degenerated ovules.
• Findings bring out clearly that mango cultivars Mallika and Amrapali are self-incompatible, whereas, Pusa Arunima and Pusa Surya are self-compatible.

An attempt was made to study pollen–pistil interactions in four mango cultivars such as ‘Amrapali’, ‘Mallika’, ‘Pusa Arunima’ and ‘Pusa Surya’, developed at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, India. The effects of self- and open-pollination on pollen germination, pollen tube growth, fruit set, ovule degeneration and growth of fruitlets were studied in the selected cultivars. It was observed that self-pollination resulted in rapid decline in fruit setting than open-pollination in ‘Amrapali’ and ‘Mallika’ as compared to ‘Pusa Arunima’ and ‘Pusa Surya’. At 48 h after self-pollination, pollen tube growth in the stylar region of ‘Amrapali’ and ‘Mallika’ was considerably slower than ‘Pusa Arunima’ and ‘Pusa Surya’ and their pollen tube reached up to two-third of the stylar region. However, in case of ‘Pusa Arunima’ and ‘Pusa Surya’ pollen tube reached up to the micropylar end. Self-pollination resulted in 75% degenerated ovules in ‘Amrapali’ and ‘Mallika’, which dropped within 21 days after pollination (DAP). In contrast, open-pollination resulted in only 20% degenerated ovules in these mango cultivars. The growth of fruitlets and ovules obtained from self- and open-pollination revealed that the fruitlets weight and dimensions of fruitlets and ovules were significantly less in self-pollinated as compared to open-pollinated ‘Amrapali’, ‘Mallika’ and ‘Pusa Arunima’, whereas no significant differences were observed in fruitlet weight and dimension of fruitlets and ovules obtained in self- and open-pollinated ‘Pusa Surya’. The present findings bring out clearly that mango cultivars ‘Mallika’ and ‘Amrapali’ are self-incompatible, whereas, cultivars ‘Pusa Arunima’ and ‘Pusa Surya’ are self-compatible.