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SUMMARY The flowering racemes of Brassica napus L. cv. Tapidor were exposed independently from the vegetative component to 200 nl l−1, 100 nl l−1 O3/30 nl l−1 SO2, In all cases, a single 6 h exposure significantly increased bud abortion, and abscission 2 and 5 d after treatment. Similar results were obtained using cv. Libravo, although the effect of 100 nl l−1 O3 was significant only after 2 d. Exposure to 30 nl l−1 SO2 did not enhance bud abortion and abscission in either variety. Longer term measurements for up to 25 d revealed a trend to wards sustained losses of fertile sites in those pollutant treatments which had exhibited demonstrable, effects after 2 and/or 5 d. However, the number of fertile sites present was comparable to or even higher than in the controls, indicating that compensation for the initial losses must have occurred. Following exposure, plants of cv. Tapidor tended to develop longer total raceme lengths and greater numbers of raceme branches, and those of cv. Libravo a greater number of raceme branches. Indicating possible methods by which new fertile sites may have been produced. The significance of these observations for the reproductive development of field‐grown oilseed rape is discussed.

SUMMARY A single exposure of pollen of Brassica napus L. cvs Tapidor or Libravo to 100 nl l−1 ozone (O3) either in vitro or in vivo on the anthers of intact plants had no significant effect on either pollen germination or pollen tube growth. Exposure of dry pollen to 200 nl l−1 sulphur dioxide (SO2) also produced no significant effect. However, pollen germination was significantly reduced and pollen tube growth impaired in both cultivars when pollen was exposed in unbuffered incubation medium to 200 nl l−1 SO2. The pH of the unbuffered medium fell from 6.5 to 5.5 during fumigation, suggesting a role for acidification in the observed SO2‐induced effects. This view is supported by evidence that percentage germination decreased linearly with pH in culture media buffered to provide pH values ranging from 6.05 to 3.0. Pollen tube growth was also impaired at pHs of 5.6 and below. The significance of pollutant‐induced impairment of pollen germination and growth for reproductive development and the influence of moisture in modifying the impact of SO2 and O3 are discussed.

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Summary• Exposure to ozone (O 3 ) may affect vegetative and reproductive development, although the consequences for yield depend on the effectiveness of the compensatory processes induced. This study examined the impact on reproductive development of exposing Brassica campestris (Wisconsin Fast Plants) to ozone during vegetative growth.• Plants were exposed to 70 ppb ozone for 2 d during late vegetative growth or 10 d spanning most of the vegetative phase. Effects on gas exchange, vegetative growth, reproductive development and seed yield were determined.• Impacts on gas exchange and foliar injury were related to pre-exposure stomatal conductance. Exposure for 2 d had no effect on growth or reproductive characteristics, whereas 10-d exposure reduced vegetative growth and reproductive site number on the terminal raceme. Mature seed number and weight per pod and per plant were unaffected because seed abortion was reduced.• The observation that mature seed yield per plant was unaffected by exposure during the vegetative phase, despite adverse effects on physiological, vegetative and reproductive processes, shows that indeterminate species such as B. campestris possess sufficient compensatory flexibility to avoid reductions in seed production.