Pollinating Technique of Pepper Hybrid Seed Production

The purity and yield of hybrid seeds are the key to the seed production of pepper hybrids, and the factors affecting the purity and yield are parent seed purity, cultivation management, isolation and pollination techniques, among which pollination technology is particularly important. Now let's talk about the process and methods of pollination.

1. Preparation before pollination

1.1 manufacture of pollination tube and printing pen

The pollination tube is a hollow glass tube with an opening at the top of one end and a small hole on the side of the other end. Pipe length 6cm, outer diameter 4mm, inner diameter 3mm, keyhole diameter 1.5mm. Make the edge of the keyhole smooth enough when making the pipe.

Printing oil pen production method: remove the refill of the painting water color pen, fill the pen container with printing oil and then use it. The formula of printing oil is 75% 85% lead printing ink (red) plus 15% 25% paint (varnish or red paint), plus an appropriate amount of edible oil (such as rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil and other vegetable oil) to adjust the concentration.

1.2 Field inspection and plant adjustment

Check the purity of parents, get rid of miscellaneous and inferior. The flowers and fruits of the first node should be removed from the parental plant. The flowers and all fruits that have bloomed on the female plant are removed, and it is best to cut off the weak branches that are stunted below the pepper.

2. Pollen collection and cross pollination.

2.1 Pollen collection

Every morning at 6 ∶ 00: 8 ∶ 00 (the temperature is low and rainy days can be postponed appropriately), pick the buds that will bloom on the male parent plant (the Corolla is fully whitish, the front end is slightly split) or the flowers that have just opened but the anthers have not split, immediately take out the anthers with tweezers, place them in a vessel, dry them in a place of low light drying, screen the pollen with pollen of 60 × 100 mesh, put it into the pollination tube, and seal the tube mouth with rubber plugs. In production, it is best to use the fresh pollen of the same day, with little or no use of pollen every other day.

2.2 pollination time, node position and bud age

The period of pollination is slightly different in different regions, and it is more suitable in Hefei from early May to mid-June.

The daily pollination time varies slightly due to the change of air temperature and air humidity. When the temperature is low and the air humidity is high, if the flowering time is delayed, pollination will be postponed accordingly, otherwise pollination will be advanced. It is generally appropriate to use 7 ∶ 00: 10 ∶ 00 in the morning, and 8 ∶ 00: 9 ∶ 00 is the best, because the stigma secretion increases during this period, and after 3 ∶ 00 in the afternoon. If the temperature is suitable, it can be pollinated all day.

The best node of pollination is No.2 ~ 5th. If the first section of flower pollination seed production, it will affect the vegetative growth of the plant; the fruit above node 5 has light seeds and poor quality.

The criteria for judging the best bud age of pollination are as follows: the bud has been fully enlarged, the bud turns white, and it will crack with a gentle pinch of the hand. In such a bud, the style has matured and the anther is not split. If the bud is small (green and white), it is not easy to set fruit and produce less seed.

2.3 Operation process of pollination and matters needing attention

The pollination tube is fixed in the middle and front of the printing pen with a rubber band, and the end with a small hole is close to the pen head. Hold the pen: hold the front end of the penholder with the index finger and middle finger of the right hand, and the back end of the penholder between the thumb and index finger. Pay attention to make the small hole of the pollination tube face up. During pollination, the left hand pinches the junction of the pedicel and the receptacle, the right thumb and index finger gently squeeze the Corolla near the receptacle, twist slowly, and the Corolla and anthers are removed (the anther is connected to the Corolla), exposing the style and ovary. Then extend the style vertically into the hole of the pollination tube, dip it with saturated pollen, and apply it to the pedicel with a printing pen to mark it.

In the process of pollination, when looking for flower buds that can be pollinated, do not pick up the leaves by hand, but hold several leaves in the upper part of the plant by hand and gently pick them away, because the branches and leaves of chili peppers are brittle and easy to break. In addition, when twisting the Corolla, do not hurt or break the style (the style is very delicate); do not let the style come into contact with the leaves after pollination. During the use of the pollen tube, the pollen tube should often stand up to keep the pollen filled at the bottom of the tube.

During pollination, flowers that have bloomed should be removed, and diseased plants should be pulled out in time. At the end of the pollination period, the white buds should be removed in time, generally connecting 3 layers of flowers and topping them. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen the management of fertilizer and water and prevent and control diseases and insect pests.