High temperature exposure did not affect induced 2n pollen viability in Populus.

High temperature exposure is widely used as a physical mutagenic agent to induce 2n gametes in Populus. However, whether high temperature exposure affects induced 2n pollen viability remains unknown. To clarify whether high temperature exposure affected the induced 2n pollen viability, 2n pollen induced by 38 and 41 °C temperatures, pollen morphology, 2n pollen germination in vitro, and crossing induced 2n pollen with normal gametes to produce a triploid was, based on observations of meiosis, conducted in Populus canescens. We found that the dominant meiotic stages (F = 56.6, p < .001) and the treatment duration (F = 21.4, p < .001) significantly affected the occurrence rate of induced 2n pollen. A significant decrease in pollen production and an increase in aborted pollen were observed (p < .001). High temperature sometimes affected in ectexine deposition and some narrow furrows were also analysed via details of ectexine structure. However, no significant difference in 2n pollen germination rate was observed between natural 2n pollen (26.7%) and high-temperature-induced 2n pollen (26.2%), and 42 triploids were created by crossing high-temperature-induced 2n pollen, suggesting that 38 and 41 °C temperatures exposure will not result in dysfunctional induced 2n pollen.