Ovule Fertility and Seed Set in Oilseed Brassicas

Ovule Fertility and Seed Set in Oilseed Brassicas 

Present study illustrates the effect of number of ovules/gynoecium and their fertility on seed yield in oilseed Brassicas. Amongst the nine different species of the family Brassicaceae analyzed, the maximum number of ovules/ gynoecium was recorded in Brassica napus (28- 30) followed by Eruca sativa (22-24), B. carinata (20-22) and B. juncea cv. Geeta (18-20), while the minimum was observed in Crambe abyssinica (01). The number of seeds developed in each siliqua was in accordance with the number of fertilized embryo sacs, indicating little or no embryo abortion during seed development. Moreover, it was also revealed that the number of ovules with embryo sac is more closely correlated to ovule fertility than to the number of ovules/ gynoecium. The observation indicates that ovule fertility, rather than the number of ovules/ gynoecium, determines seed yield in oilseed Brassicas.