High Temperature After Anthesis Releases Embryo Arrest in the Mukaku Kishu–type Seedless Cultivar ‘Southern Yellow’

抄録

Mukaku Kishu–type seedlessness in citrus (Citrus L.) is characterized by the formation of small and edible seeds (type A seeds) with an immature seed coat and arrest of embryo development at an early stage. We investigated the effect of high temperature on embryo and seed development in the Mukaku Kishu–type seedless cultivar ‘Southern Yellow’ over a period of four years. In outdoor-grown trees, embryos at the zygote and proembryo stages were observed at 10 weeks after pollination (WAP), and embryo development was largely arrested at 18 WAP; as a result, only type A seeds formed. In glasshouse-grown trees, globular-stage embryos were observed at 10 WAP, and globular- to cotyledon-stage embryos developed by 18 WAP. The day temperature in the glasshouse was higher than outdoors. Seeds developed in the fruit of trees transferred into a glasshouse at 0–2, 0–4, or 2–4 WAP, but not 4–8 WAP. High temperature before flowering had no effect on seed development. We conclude that high temperature at 0–4 WAP releases the arrest of embryo development after 10 WAP in ‘Southern Yellow’.