POLLEN MANAGEMENT IN INDUSTRIAL HEMP (Cannabis sativa L.) BREEDING

Karakoç E., Yılmaz G.

INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COMPILATION RESEARCH CONGRESS-VI, Ankara, Türkiye, 21 - 22 Ağustos 2026, ss.550-565, (Tam Metin Bildiri)

  • Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Tam Metin Bildiri
  • Basıldığı Şehir: Ankara
  • Basıldığı Ülke: Türkiye
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.550-565
  • Yozgat Bozok Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a versatile plant used for fiber, food, cosmetics, and medicinal purposes. In Turkey, legal regulations have been established regarding hemp cultivation and its areas of use. It is necessary to develop varieties that comply with legal regulations and production objectives. Pollen management is crucial in the creation of new varieties, commercial seed production, and controlled hybridization efforts. Although hemp is naturally a dioecious plant, monoecious forms also exist. In terms of reproductive biology, it is a wind-pollinated (anemophilous) species that exhibits obligate cross-pollination (xenogamy). As a result, hemp is one of the plants that produces the most pollen. The morphology of the pollen and its low mass increase its mobility, leading to unwanted pollination in breeding programs. Although many different materials are used in isolation procedures, there is no standard isolation material for hemp breeding. For this reason, it is necessary to use appropriate isolation materials in hybridization studies. Additionally, in hybridization studies involving parents with different flowering times, it is necessary to collect and store pollen and carry out viability tests before use. Differences have been observed in pollen collection methods (by hand or using equipment) and timing. Various viability tests are conducted to determine the extent to which the viability of collected and stored pollen changes over the short, medium, and long term. Hybridization studies must be conducted concurrently with these viability tests to assess the pollen’s ability to metabolize. To prevent unwanted pollen contamination in hemp breeding, there is a need for standardized methods regarding the collection and storage of pollen under the necessary isolation conditions, as well as the required viability tests.