Summary
To develop the technology for long-term pollen preservation, sugarbeet pollen was collected from plants grown in the greenhouse and in the field, and was stored 1 day to 1 year at 5, -18, and -196°C. Pollen containing about 12% moisture was successfully stored in liquid nitrogen (LN2) up to 1 year; this pollen effected fertilization of male-sterile flowers as well as freshly collected pollen. Germination of the resultant seed was good and not different from seed from fresh pollinations. Pollen stored at -18°C for 1 year did not result in as much seed set as fresh pollen, and 1 year at 5°C was essentially lethal. In vitro pollen germination served as a post-storage viability measure, provided the pollen was hydrated before germination. The methods tested in these experiments provided a relatively simple, reliable, and inexpensive means for preservation of sugarbeet pollen for breeding purposes and for preservation of genetic resources.
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Joint contribution of the Agricultural Research Service, USDA, and the Beet Sugar Development Foundation.
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Hecker, R.J., Stanwood, P.C. & Soulis, C.A. Storage of sugarbeet pollen. Euphytica 35, 777–783 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00028585
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00028585