Pollen performance of Raphanus sativus (Brassicaceae) declines in response to elevated [CO2]

Abstract

Although increases in atmospheric [CO(2)] are known to affect plant physiology, growth and reproduction, understanding of these effects is limited because most studies of reproductive consequences focus solely on female function. Therefore, we examined the effects of CO(2) enrichment on male function in the annual Raphanus sativus. Pollen donors grown under elevated [CO(2)] initially sired a higher proportion of seeds per fruit than ambient [CO(2)]-grown plants when each was tested against two different standard competitors; however, by the end of the 5-month experiment, these pollen donors sired fewer seeds than ambient [CO(2)]-grown plants and produced a lower proportion of viable pollen grains. The results of this experiment confirm that elevated [CO(2)] can alter reproductive success. Additionally, the change in response to elevated [CO(2)] over time varied among pollen donor families; thus, changes in [CO(2)] could act as a selective force on this species.

Seed germination and rising atmospheric CO2 concentration: a meta‐analysis of parental and direct effects

“…Pollen number and/or viability are key paternal traits that affect seed set and germination and are highly sensitive to environmental signals. In fact, these traits have been shown to be sensitive to parental e CO 2 (Wang & Griffin, ; Prasad et al ., ; Marshall et al ., ) and, hence, are likely to have mediated some of the germination responses reported here. Male contribution to seed germinability can also result from genetic factors.…”

“…A number of studies have indicated that genotypic (Wulff & Alexander, ; Curtis et al ., ; Ward & Strain, ; Andalo et al ., ; Bai et al ., ) and species‐specific (Farnsworth & Bazzaz, ; Jablonski et al ., ) differences interact with parental CO 2 concentrations to determine reproductive quality and/or outputs. The limited research also suggests that both female (Garbutt & Bazzaz, ; Jablonski et al ., ; Grünzweig, ) and male (Prasad et al ., ; Marshall et al ., ) components of reproductive fitness can be influenced by e CO 2 . However, the relative contribution of maternal vs paternal traits regulating seed germination responses to e CO 2 is still unknown.…”

Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) pollen allergenicity: SuperSAGE transcriptomic analysis upon elevated CO2 and drought stress

“…Similarly, it was shown that the pollen performance decreased in Raphanus sativus in response to elevated CO 2 levels [53]. Drought stress resulted in a reduction of the pollen viability from approximately 46% to 24% (Additional file 1).…”

Climate Change: Seed Production and Options for Adaptation

“…This decrease in pollen viability may have resulted from a nutrient limitation that developed as CO 2 became abundant [79]. Both nitrogen and phosphorous can become limiting under elevated CO 2 [80], and a reduction in their availability can reduce pollen quality [79].…”