Pollen productivity and morphology of pollen grains in two cultivars of honeyberry (Lonicera kamtschatica (Sevast.) Pojark.)

Abstract

In the years 2004-2006, investigations on the abundance of pollen production in two cultivars of Lonicera kamtschatica (Sevast.) Pojark. - Atut and Duet, were conducted at the Felin Experimental Farm of the Agricultural University in Lublin. Moreover, the viability of pollen grains was estimated and measurements of their size were taken. Ten flowers of both studied cultivars supplied 11.42 mg of pollen and the average pollen productivity per 1 ha of a several-years-old plantation was 30.04 kg. The pollen of the observed plants was eagerly collected by honey bees. Pollen grains of both cultivars are suboblate. Considering their size, they can be described as large ones (P=47.55 µm, E=60.37 µm). Pollen viability for both cultivars is high, about 95%.