Abstract

MADRIZ, Petra; JAUREGUI, Damelis  and  WARNOCK, Rosemary. Ovule and seed abortion, and characterization of morphoanatomical abnormalities, in two black bean (phaseolus vulgaris l.) Cultivars from two localities in Venezuela. INCI [online]. 2008, vol.33, n.12, pp.910-915. ISSN 0378-1844.

In order to establish the proportion of aborted black bean ovules and seeds, and to determine and characterize abnormalities in those structures, cultivars Tacarigua and Colombiana were sowed in the localities of Sanare, Lara state and Montalbán, Carabobo state, Venezuela, at the end of the rainy season (Sep 2003 to Jan 2004) and during the dry season (Jan-Apr 2004), respectively. Flowers and fruits were sampled from nodes 4 to 6 of ten plants at random. They were fixed in formaldehyde-acetic acid-ethanol 70% (FAA) and processed for permanent and semi-permanent slides. The number of ovules/flower was evaluated. In pods, the numbers of total, normal, rough and non-developed seeds (aborted seeds) as well as empty spaces (aborted ovules) were quantified. Normal and rough seeds were separated into seminal cover and embryo for observation under the microscope. The highest number of ovules was found in cv Tacarigua and in the locality of Montalban, but the number of seeds was higher in Sanare than in Montalban. The number of aborted ovules was higher than the number of non-developed seeds, which might be related to prefertilization abortion. Non-developed seeds did not present embryos or the latter were deformed. In the rough seed coat, Malpighi cells presented variations in length and the parenquimatic cells showed collapse that caused sinking of the surface. The length of the embryo axis appears to be a genetic trait as it remains unchanged with the different local climatic conditions.

Keywords : Aborción; Leguminosae; Phaseolus; Óvulos; Semillas.