“Artificial hybridisation is the process of pollination and fertilising plants with only the pollen grains of interest,” explains the National Institutes of Health.
Pollination is the process by which plants reproduce by transferring pollen grains from the anthers to the stigmas of their flowers. Pollination can be divided into two categories: Cross-pollination and self-pollination are two types of pollination.
Pollen and stigma must be compatible with one another in order for pollination to be successful. Pollen grains may be rejected if they are incompatible with the environment. This is an undesirable situation, particularly in the case of commercial crop production. It was for this reason that artificial hybridisation was developed.
Artificial Hybridisation
The compatibility of pollen and stigma is critical for the successful pollination and fertilisation of plants. Once compatible pollen is accepted by the pistil, the process of fertilisation can begin; incompatible pollen will be rejected. Long-term pollen-pistil interaction, as well as chemicals released by pollen, are responsible for this interaction in which a pistil is capable of recognising and recognising its pollen.
It is critical to understand the pollen-pistil interaction during the hybridisation process. It’s among the innovative methods used in the Agricultural Production Improvement Program’s crop production improvement efforts. It is only the desired pollen grains that are introduced to the stigma during artificial hybridisation, as opposed to all other pollen grains. This assists in avoiding unwanted pollen rejection while also saving time. It is also possible to grow plants that have the characteristics that are desired.
Artificial Hybridisation Methods
The process of hybridisation consists of two methods i.e., Emasculation and Bagging.
Emasculation
We all know that hybridisation is a technique used in selective breeding. As a result, the anthers must be thrown off before the pollen grains may be released. Emasculation is the process of removing another person from their body with forceps. It is not necessary to perform this step in the case of monosexual blooms.
Bagging
Pollen bagging is the process of protecting emasculated flowers from being contaminated by unwanted pollen grains. Despite the fact that the flower is enclosed in a bag, the bloom retains its receptivity. When it comes to unisexual flowers, bagging is done before the blooms open. The technique of emasculation and bagging ensures that a female bloom is totally protected from contamination during the growing period. Once the flower has reached the stage of stigma receptivity, the pollen of choice is dusted onto the stigma.
In order to ensure that the correct type of pollen is transferred to the stigma of the flower, artificial hybridisation is used in conjunction with natural hybridisation. Furthermore, there is a high likelihood of fertilisation. This approach allows for the development of a wide range of crop strains while also improving the quality of crops that have desirable characteristics. It is also cost-effective.
Conclusion
An artificial hybridisation process is defined as the use of selective pollen grains to conduct the processes of pollination and fertilisation in a controlled environment. In order to achieve successful pollination, the pollen and stigma that are used should be genetically similar to one another. In order to avoid confusion, it is important to remember that seeds are only produced in the case of self-pollination. Selective breeding is another term used to describe the process of artificial hybridisation. Emasculation is the term used to describe the process of removing anthers with forceps from a female reproductive organ. Pollination is the process by which pollen grains are transferred from the anther to the stigma of a flowering plant. Generally , pollination can be divided into two categories: cross-pollination and self-pollination. This is an undesirable situation, particularly in the case of commercial crop production. It was for this reason that artificial hybridisation was developed.It is critical to understand the pollen-pistil interaction during the hybridisation process. It’s among the innovative methods used in the Agricultural Production Improvement Program’s crop production improvement efforts.This assists in avoiding unwanted pollen rejection while also saving time.