Study of pre-fertilization parameters in wheat-maize crosses

The present study aimed at investigation of pollen tubes and stigma or style interactions in terms of different parameters, which were chosen to quantify the success of wheat-maize hybridization. Eighteen F1s derived from nine cold tolerant and two cold susceptible wheat varieties were crossed with maize (Zea mays) genotype ‘Pragati’. Mean percent pollen germination and mean pollen tube growth were found to be maximum in Druchamp/UP 2425 Pragati cross (62.48% and 174.66 mm, respectively) with the lowest percentage of abnormal pollen tubes. Embryo Formation Frequency (EFF) showed highly significant and positive correlation with percent pollen germination (0.986) and pollen tube length (0.965). Histological studies indicated aberrant secretions of proteins and carbohydrates in the wheat-maize crosses. It was concluded that the two crosses viz. Druchamp with UP 2425, and UP 2590 would provide exciting possibilities for further investigations in haploid production by wheat-maize crosses and QTL mapping for cold tolerance in wheat.