Experiments were conducted to test the effect of water stress on pollen components versus female (egg sac) components in the regulation of seed set in buckwheat.
Fagopyritol accumulation is associated with the acquisition of desiccation tolerance in buckwheat seeds.
Galactosyl cyclitol accumulation in buckwheat seeds and galactopinitols were not detected.
Fagopyritols were purified from buckwheat seeds.
In vitro culture of buckwheat racemes provides a method to reduce the very large number of observations required for in planta studies on seed set in buckwheat.
Buckwheat racemes form new flowers continuously during several weeks in planta.
Typical of the upper stem on buckwheat plants, each explant had two small, bract-like leaves.
Each experiment was replicated over time a total of four times, using 2-4 explants per treatment from each of the four different sets of buckwheat plants.
