Effects of the ease of self- pollination on the vase life of cut Eustoma flowers

Abstract

The effects of the ease of self-pollination on the vase life in cut Eustoma flowers were investigated by using 13 cultivars. The vase life of Eustoma florets was reduced by self-pollination in 10 out of 13 cultivars. The distance from the stigma to anther and the rate of natural self-pollination varied among the cultivars, such that the rate of pollinated flowers was negatively correlated with the distance from the stigma to anther (r=-0.86). This indicates that flowers are more apt to be pollinated if the distance is short. Hence, we conclude that the vase life of cut Eustoma florets is affected by the relative ease at which natural self-pollination occurs, which in turn, is a function of the distance between the stigma and the anthers.