Alleviation of Cadmium Stress on Pollens of Quince Varieties Through Epibrassinolide

Abstract

Environmental factors significantly impact plant physiological processes, especially during pollination and fertilization. Pollen germination (PG) and pollen tube length (PTL), crucial in plant reproduction, are particularly vulnerable to environmental contaminants that affect fruit sets adversely. This study investigated the impact of varying cadmium (Cd) doses, a significant toxic heavy metal, and the alleviative potential of external 24-epibrassinolide (24-epiBL) applications on cadmium stress, determined through PG and PTL. Quince pollen viability rates, assessed using the TTC (2-3-5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride) viability test, varied between 38.58% and 55.80%. PG and PTL rates decreased in response to higher Cd doses. The application of epiBL increased PG and PTL, but a notable decline was observed at the 2.00 μM application. A positive relationship between the application dosage of epiBL and its alleviation effect on Cd stress on PG and PTL was observed except for the 2.00 mM. Results revealed variability in PG and PTL rates among quince varieties, and PG and PTL rates decreased with higher Cd doses. This study suggests that epiBL up to 0.50 mM is an efficient tool for alleviating Cd stress in quince pollens. © Der/die Autor(en), exklusiv lizenziert an Springer-Verlag GmbH Deutschland, ein Teil von Springer Nature 2024.