The Institute for Commercial Forestry Research &
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries
6th Forest Science Symposium
29 – 30 July 2014
Contact Symposium Organiser: Sally Upfold (tel: 033-3862314 cell: 0825700851 e-mail: )
Contact for payment: Chane Nel (tel: 033-3862314 fax: 033-3868905 e-mail: ..ac.za)
Venue:Date & Times: / Hilton College Theatre, Hilton College School, near Hilton
Tuesday 29 July and Wednesday 30 July 2014
ABSTRACT SUBMISSION FORM
To be returned to the ICFR by e-mail or by fax (033-3868905) by Friday 2 May 2014Company:
Contact Person:
(full name & title)
Postal Address:
Tel no.: / Fax no.:
Email address:
Title of Paper/Poster
Author (s)
Category / Paper - new work (unpublished) * / Paper - work has been previously published/presented / Poster
Abstract / * Abstracts of new work (unpublished) will be considered for publication
in a dedicated issue of the journal
Southern Forests: A Journal of Forest Science
Abstract Format Guidelines
Abstract Title: Arial 12 point Bold, single spacing, centred
Abstract Authors: Arial 10 point Bold, single spacing, centred
Abstract Contact Details: Arial 9 point, single spacing, centred
Abstract Body: Arial 10 point 1.5 spacing, left justified
Maximum nr of words: 250-300
(This can be submitted on a separate page as per attached example)
Example of an Abstract
The effect of temperature and relative humidity on Acacia mearnsii polyad viability
S.L. Beck-Pay* and K. Koen
Institute for Commercial Forestry Research, P.O. Box 100281, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3209, South Africa
Acacia mearnsii (black wattle) is a commercially important forestry species in South Africa, grown for its timber as well as its bark. It is, however, also considered to be an alien invader of indigenous vegetation and for this reason the production of a sterile variety would be highly desirable for commercial forestry in South Africa. Previous research on crosses between diploid and tetraploid parent plants to produce triploid progeny has resulted in poor seed set. One possible barrier preventing seed set could be the viability of the pollen (which is housed in polyads) used in the cross pollination operations. Thus a study was conducted to test the polyad viability. In vitro agar media germination tests (ACIAR and Brewbaker and Kwack media) together with vital stain tests (Sigma® DAB peroxidase and p-phenylendiamine) were used to test polyad germination and viability of A. mearnsii polyads. These were then compared to in vivo pollen germination on the stigma. Results showed that the vital stain tests gave significantly (p < 0.05) higher polyad viability (59.53 and 60.67 %) than the agar germination tests (11.92 and 24.50 %) and were more in agreement with the results from the polyad germination rate on the stigma (94.59 %). In 2011 inflorescences were subjected to various temperature and relative humidity combinations, to simulate conditions recorded within the isolation bags used in the 2010 flowering season. The results from this study together with a comparison of polyad viability results across three seasons (2009, 2010 and 2010) will be discussed.