Identification of a Male Sterile Candidate Gene in x and Transfer of the Gene to Easter Lily () via Hybridization.

Pollen-free varieties are advantageous in promoting cut-flower production. In this study, we identified a candidate mutation which is responsible for pollen sterility in a strain of × , which was originally identified as a naturally occurred male-sterile plant in a seedling population. The pollen sterility occurred due to the degradation of pollen mother cells (PMCs) before meiotic cell division.