POLLEN MORPHOLOGY AND GERMINATION OF INDIGENOUS GRAPEVINE CULTIVARS ŽILAVKA AND BLATINA (Vitis vinifera L.)

Abstract

The indigenous cultivars Žilavka and Blatina of V. vinifera are of the greatest economic importance for wine production in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In vineyards, the grape productivity of Žilavka is normal while that of Blatina is extremely low. The objective of this work was to study the pollen morphology of V. vinifera cvs. Žilavka and Blatina using scanning electron microscopy. The pollen grain of Žilavka showed three furrows, but acolporated (without furrows or pores) pollen grains were observed in Blatina. Pollen germination in Žilavka was satisfactory, whereas Blatina pollen lacked the capacity to germinate. The present research is a contribution to amore detailed analysis of major grapevine cultivars in the Balkans.