Quantitative and Qualitative Analyses of Genus Pyrus L. (Pear Tree) in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran Hedieh Karimi, Bahman Eslami, Abbas Ali Dehpouri & Ali Shokuhi Rad Iranian Journal of Science and Technology, Transactions A: Science ISSN 1028-6276 Volume 43 Number 3 Iran J Sci Technol Trans Sci (2019) 43:715-724 DOI 10.1007/s40995-017-0460-1 1 23 Your article is protected by copyright and all rights are held exclusively by Shiraz University. This e-offprint is for personal use only and shall not be self-archived in electronic repositories. If you wish to self-archive your article, please use the accepted manuscript version for posting on your own website. You may further deposit the accepted manuscript version in any repository, provided it is only made publicly available 12 months after official publication or later and provided acknowledgement is given to the original source of publication and a link is inserted to the published article on Springer's website. The link must be accompanied by the following text: "The final publication is available at link.springer.com”. 1 23 Author's personal copy Iran J Sci Technol Trans Sci (2019) 43:715–724 https://doi.org/10.1007/s40995-017-0460-1 (0123456789().,-volV)(0123456789().,-volV) RESEARCH PAPER Quantitative and Qualitative Analyses of Genus Pyrus L. (Pear Tree) in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran 1 1 2 3 Hedieh Karimi • Bahman Eslami • Abbas Ali Dehpouri • Ali Shokuhi Rad Received: 16 October 2017 / Accepted: 6 December 2017 / Published online: 22 December 2017 Ó Shiraz University 2017 Abstract Pollen morphology of Pyrus L. spp. genus from West Azerbaijan Province of Iran using light microscope and scanning electron microscope was studied. The species under study included Pyrus syriaca, Pyrus amygdaliformis, Pyrus salicifolia, and Pyrus communis. The measured characteristics were longitudinal axis, transverse axis, length-to-width ratio, depth of groove or pore, shapes, and decorations of wall, and size and type of pollen grain (number of tracks). The images and details of the internal structure of all these four pollen species are provided comprehensively. The results showed that the depth of groove or pore was in the range of 1.0–3.12. The pollen species were small or medium-sized and the most common type among them was type III. The pollen grains of these species were symmetrical with three tracks and their wall decorations were striate and striate and micro-reticulate. Keywords Pollen grain Á Morphology Á Pyrus genus Á Rosaceae family Á West Azerbaijan Province 1 Introduction Lorestan, and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad Provinces are the main producers of this product (Khatamsaz 1992). This Pyrus L. (pear) genus belongs to the family of Rosaceae genus and its variants have a wide variety in germplasms and the subfamily of Maloideae. Pear trees are native to and there are about 21–26 primary species throughout the Europe and Western Asia. Pear is the third most important world. In general, it can be said that it is difficult to temperate region fruit species after apple (Wu¨nsch and mention a precise amount for the different varieties of pear Hormaza 2007). Size, taste, and appearance are the vari- throughout the world, because the pears are easily crossed eties in this fruit that are its outstanding properties that are with each other and the obtained crosses can be placed in less observed in the other fruit species (Abdollahi 2009). various taxonomic categories. On the other hand, all Pyrus Gilan, Mazandaran, Fars, Isfahan, Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, variants have self-incompatible gametophytes system. Thus, there is no inconsistent barrier for interbreeding in this genus (Abdollahi 2009). The first steps to identify the & Abbas Ali Dehpouri [email protected] genetic resources are evaluating the morphological char- acteristics of genetic resources and collecting desirable & Ali Shokuhi Rad [email protected] traits in a variety (Poralijan and Rad 2016; Mohseni and Rad 2017). This is an easy, cost-effective, and available Hedieh Karimi shimifi[email protected] method, and provides a general view on the germplasm to breeders (Li et al. 2009). What have encouraged botanists Bahman Eslami [email protected] to investigate pollen grains in the taxonomy studies are some unique features of the pollen grain that make it 1 Department of Biology, Islamic Azad University, Ayatollah superior to other biomaterials including the following. Amoli Branch, Amol, Iran – The existence of a tight outer cover (exine) that makes 2 Department of Biology, Islamic Azad University, Qaemshahr Branch, Qaemshahr, Iran them survive better and longer than many other biomaterials. 3 Department of Chemical Engineering, Islamic Azad University, Qaemshahr Branch, Qaemshahr, Iran 123 Author's personal copy 716 Iran J Sci Technol Trans Sci (2019) 43:715–724 – Diversity in shape and decorations of these resistant on each tube. Cytolysis conventional method was per- covers that has a lot of taxonomic values. formed to wash pollen grains and permanent slides were – Pollen grains are generated in large numbers that solve prepared (Li et al. 2009). the problem of sample abundance. An ocular micrometer performed measurements. For – Useful data can be obtained only through studying a each species, the parameters of longitudinal axis, trans- very small sample. Such properties are rarely seen in verse axis, and length-to-width ratio were recorded. For other biologically tested species. Thus, palynology has any species, a healthy, mature, and completely dried bud had special position in the plant taxonomy (Ishimizu was isolated from a suitable sample. On the microscopic et al. 1999). Iran has been recognized as one of the slide, at first, the flags were separated from the other parts most important genetic resources of pear in the world of the flowers and then the pollen grains were removed with over ten species and proximity to pear centers from the anthers. The surface of the pollen grains was (Khatamsaz 1992). According to the World Grocer covered with special double-sided adhesives. To prevent Organization, the global pear production in 2011 was mistakes, on the other side of the samples, the number about 24 million tons and Iran had a share of 145 labels were affixed and a specific number was assigned to thousand tons (FAO 2014). West Azerbaijan Province each species. The samples were placed in Sputter JFC 1100 has been considered as important due to the high level for 30–45 min to create vacuum, keep the sample dry, of production and different varieties of the species avoid wrinkles of samples, and also to sprinkle gold dust resulting in differences in the morphology of the pollen with a thickness of 100–120 A˚ on the pollens. The sample of this genus. The presence of the majority of fruit trees pollen grains covered with gold dust were placed in the in the Iranian traditional gardens has caused a lot of scanning electron microscope, Scanning Micro Analyzer genetic variations, which may lead to specific com- JEOL JXA-840 model, and on the dusts were observed on mercial or breeding properties. Studies have been the monitor screen. Statistical calculations including anal- conducted on the genetic variation of this fruit (Elshihy ysis of variance, and mean comparisons of traits (Duncan et al. 2004; Karadeniz and Sen 1990; Davoodi 1998; test) were performed and the coefficients were calculated Katayama and Uematsu 2006; Khoshghalb 2001). using the SPSS software. However, there is still no accurate information on the condition of pollen grains and genetic studies in this field. Therefore, this study was conducted in West 3 Results and discussion Azerbaijan attempting to provide quantitative and qualitative data on the morphology of the pollen grains Based on Table 1 and LM and SEM images (see Figs. 1, of Pyrus L. spp. and their differences. 2), it can be concluded that pollen grains of four species including Pyrus amygdaliformis, Pyrus syriaca, and Pyrus salicifolia, and Pyrus communis in Pyrus genus have usu- 2 Materials and methods ally symmetrical radius and are iso-polar (homo polar), i.e., the features of the near and far poles are similar. They have three pores and are normally tricolporate. The pollen grains In this study, pollen grains of four genus including Pyrus diameter in the 20 samples and two studied species of syriaca, Pyrus amygdaliformis, Pyrus salicifolia, and Pyrus Pyrus amygdaliformis and Pyrus syriaca from Marmisho communis were collected from Marmisho, Sardasht, Pirgol, region range from 26.69–26.52 to 26.50–35.61 lm. This and Kahriz regions in West Azerbaijan Province from 2016 diameter for the 35 samples of the Pyrus salicifolia species to 2017. To study the pollen grains, at first, the anthers from Pirgol region is 26.76–40.21 lm. For the 30 samples were removed from the perfect flowers that had mature of the Pyrus communis species from Sardasth forests, it is stamens and anthers. After preparing all the samples by 22.61–37.86 lmL, and for the 80 samples of the Pyrus Cytolysis procedure, the samples were carefully investi- communis species from Kahriz region, the diameter is gated in terms of their shapes and sizes and other param- 21.86–40.88 lm. The pollen wall decorations in most eters using light and electron microscopes. The model of samples have striate or long exines separated with grooves. the electron microscope was Scanning Micro Analyser In some samples such as Pyrus syriaca from Marmisho and JEOL JXA-840. From each species, then, a healthy flower some varieties from Kahriz region such as Abate fetal and bud was chosen. The flower bud was boiled for about Pachens Tricumph, the wall decorations were striate micro- 3 min in water, and then with the help of a dissection reticulate (see Fig.