Pollen performance of Annona cherimola Mill. (Annonaceae) is affected by temperature and moisture content during the final stages of pollen development

Abstract

Cherimoya (Annona cherimola Mill.) is a subtropical fruit tree with an incipient but promising commercial production niche in subtropical climates. However, the expansion of this crop from its areas of origin has taken place without its natural pollinating agent and crop production relies heavily on hand pollination. Erratic yields are often obtained without apparent causes, and they could be related to the lack of knowledge on the biological requirements of pollen in this species. Since pollen performance in the pistil is dependent on previous pollen development in the anther, here we perform a study on the influence of temperature and water content on final pollen development stages and, as a consequence, on pollen performance in A. cherimola. The results show a significant influence of temperature and relative humidity on pollen performance. These results provide biological support for adequate pollen handling to optimize production in this species.