Sabir J. Anim. Plant Sci. 25(6):2015 1599 IMPROVEMENT OF THE POLLEN QUALITY AND GERMINATION LEVELS IN GRAPES (VITIS VINIFERA L.) BY LEAF PULVERIZATIONS WITH NANOSIZE CALCITE AND SEAWEED EXTRACT (ASCOPHYLLIUM NODOSUM) A. Sabir University of Selcuk, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Horticulture, 42075, Konya, Turkey Corresponding author’s e-mail: asabir@selcuk.edu.tr ABSTRACT Studies indicated that toxic materials such as pesticides, plant bio-stimulants and chemical fertilizers used in intensified agriculture are detrimental to the viability of the plant pollen and cause reduction in plant fertility. Pollen quantity, viability and germination capability are important parameters for both fruitfulness and breeding studies. Therefore, effects of 100% organic materials, namely nanosize calcite (CaCO3, SiO2, MgO, and Fe2O3) and seaweed extract (Ascophyllium nodosum) pulverizations on size, fertility and germination rates of the pollens of 'Thompson Seedless' and 'Narince' grapevine cultivars were investigated. The calcite treatment, alone or along with seaweed improved viable pollen (dark red) percentages that varied from 65.(control) to 77.9% (combined treatment) in 'Thompson Seedless', and from 55.3% (control) to 68.8% (calcite) in 'Narince'. The improvement of pollen germination due to calcite was more pronounced in pollens of 'Narince' than in 'Thompson Seedless'. In general, slight changes in lengths of polar and equatorial axises of grape pollens in response to the treatments were also observed. The correlation between pollen viability and germination percentages was different among the cultivars. Overall, leaf pulverizations of nanosize calcite and seaweed extract had remarkably positive effects on grapevine pollen characteristics and therefore both applications could be recommended as environmental-friendly practices in sustainable viticulture. Key words: Pollen quality, sustainable practices, leaf fertilizers, grapevine. INTRODUCTION The need to feed an ever-increasing population is a constant pressure on crop production in the world. Intensification in production is generally associated with the increased use of external inputs. In such intensified production techniques, many may have had some undesirable effects on environments and water quality (Kara and Sabir, 2010). Global warming is becoming a major part of the political agenda. Studies have indicated that toxic materials as well as climate change detrimentally influence the morphological structure of the plant pollen that reduce pollen fertility and subsequent yield (Speranza et al., 2013), since the pollination and subsequent fertilization are essential issues for fruit set in plants, proper development of floral organs and adequate pollen production with high viability and germination capability are the primary requirements for fertilization (Kelen and Demirtas, 2003; Naveed et al., 2014) for both fruitfulness and breeding studies (Sabir, 2010). While genetic factors determine the ultimate potential of the pollinizer (Hill et al., 1985), environmental variables, including mineral nutrition of the plant, have profound influence the quantity and quality of the pollen produced and its subsequent performance (Nyomora et al., 2000; Hussein et al., 2014). The plants are exposed to multiple abiotic stresses rather than one particular stress simultaneously in field conditions. The combination of high temperature and water stress represents an excellent example of multiple abiotic stress occurring concomitantly in the field (Wu et al., 2012). In the world, a large proportion of vineyards are located in regions with a risk of drought (e.g. Mediterranean-type climates) and high temperature, that constitute serious constraints on grape yield and quality. It is also believed that the frequency of extreme events such as heat waves or global warming is predicted to increase (Kuster et al., 2013). In many other crop species, the effects of high temperature stress are more prominent on reproductive development than on vegetative growth and the sudden decline in yield with temperature is mainly associated with pollen infertility (Zinn et al., 2010). Research work has mainly focused on the adverse effects of biotic stress on pollen quality of various plants (Naveed et al., 2014). However, little information is available regarding the effects of organic cultural practices, such as leaf nutrient pulverization, on pollen quality of horticultural plants. For a sustainable and environmentally healthy agriculture, researchers have tested the effectiveness of many organic materials such as seaweed extracts (Khan et al., 2009), nanosize produces (Kara and Sabir, 2010), and agent microorganisms (Sabir et al., 2012a; Chen et al., 2013; Sabir, 2013) on plant growth. Marine algal seaweed species have often been regarded as an underutilized bioresources (Khan et al., 2009). Among the most commonly used seaweeds, The Journal of Animal & Plant Sciences, 25(6): 2015, Page: 1599-1605 ISSN: 1018-7081