Pollination biology of oilseed poppy, Papaver somniferum L.
J. A. C. Miller A E , L. Henning A , V. L. Heazlewood B , P. J. Larkin C , J. Chitty C , R. Allen C , P. H. Brown B , W. L. Gerlach D and A. J. Fist AA Tasmanian Alkaloids Pty Ltd, PO Box 130, Westbury, Tas. 7303, Australia.
B University of Tasmania, School of Agricultural Sciences, Tas. 7000, Australia.
C CSIRO Plant Industry, PO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
D Johnson & Johnson Research Laboratories, Locked Bag 4555, Strawberry Hills, NSW 2012, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: jmiller7@tmaau.jnj.com
Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 56(5) 483-490 https://doi.org/10.1071/AR04234
Submitted: 15 October 2004 Accepted: 28 February 2005 Published: 31 May 2005
Abstract
Although poppies (Papaver somniferum L.) are one of the oldest cultivated plants relatively little is known of their pollination biology. We have investigated the relative importance of wind and insects in the pollination of poppies and identified potential insect pollinators. Wind pollination was found to be negligible, insect pollination was responsible for the majority of out-crossing, and self-pollination was the dominant mode of poppy fertilisation. Honeybees and flies were identified as the main potential cross-pollinators of Tasmanian poppies. Using a transgenic poppy field trial in which approximately 50% of the pollen grains produced were transgenic, we have determined the level of pollen-mediated gene flow by scoring over 50 000 seeds for the presence of a selectable marker gene. Gene flow was measured using a 10-m buffer area that surrounded the field trial. It was highest at 0.1 m with 3.26% of seeds found to be transgenic and declined over distance with 1.73% transgenic seeds at 0.5 m, 1.80% at 1 m, 0.86% at 2 m, 0.34% at 5 m, 0.12% at 9 m, and 0.18% at 10 m. These results demonstrate that under Tasmanian conditions, pollen-mediated gene flow occurs at modest levels in poppies that are in close proximity to each other and is most probably mediated by honeybees and flies.
Additional keywords: gene flow, pollination vectors, out-crossing.
Acknowledgments
We thank Lionel Hill (DPIWE, Tasmania) for assistance with insect identifications and Kelley Whittaker (formerly of the OGTR) for assistance with experimental planning. We also thank Bill and Marie Gooch, Robert Mitchelson, and Tony Richardson for providing commercial poppy paddocks in which to conduct the research.
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