Unveiling reproductive biology, phenology, and pollen viability in Lathyrus species to enhance crop improvement

Abstract

The advancement of Lathyrus through genetic enhancement and cultivar development faces challenges due to limited knowledge about their reproductive biology. Thus, the present study systematically investigates the reproductive biology, phenology, receptivity of stigma, germination and viability of pollen in Lathyrus sativus L. and L. cicera L. Experiments were carried out using 20 accessions of L. sativus and three accessions of L. cicera. Anther dehiscence and stigma receptivity were determined through microscopic observation and hydrogen peroxide test, respectively. Pollen viability was assessed through in vitro pollen germination and fluorescein diacetate (FDA) test. Flowers were found to be bisexual and protogynous, with self-pollination favored by the cleistogamous nature of flowers. Five flower-development and three pod-development stages were classified in both species. The timing of all stages differed significantly among the accessions studied. Stigma receptivity was observed to occur 2–4 days before anther dehiscence and persisted until flower wilting. The study reveals that L. sativus and L. cicera are primarily self-pollinated, underscoring the critical timing of emasculation for successful manual crossing in breeding, ultimately enhancing pod and seed set, and facilitating plant breeders in optimizing hybridization programs.