Influence of UV-B radiation on the reproductive function of Hordeum vulgare L. plants

Irradiation of barley seedlings by ultraviolet-B radiation influences the growth and development of the sexual elements of the spike, accelerating differentiation of the sporogenous tissue of the anther and the male gametophyte, a phenomenon which is accompanied by an increase in the asynchronicity of microgametogenesis and in heterogeny of the pollen grains, and in an increase in the sterility of the pollen grains. High ultraviolet doses tend to reduce the level of sterility of the anther due to intensification of haplontic cell selection. The influence of ultraviolet irradiation on the reproductive system of the plant is expressed in genotoxic (through damage to the DNA of meristemic cells) and photo-inductive (through acceleration of efflorescence and differentiation of gametophytes) effects.