Summary
Germination and storage trials were carried out with pollen of several rose varieties. The pollen grains germinated well in a 15% sucrose solution with 40 ppm boric acid. Staining the pollen with a 0.1% tetrazolium solution and standardizing the degree of colour at which the pollen grains are counted as viable, provided a good viability estimate, simpler to carry out than in vitro germination. Germination capacity and staining ability of the pollen were greatly impeded-about halved-by dehydration during storage in desiccators at low humidity. This effect could be corrected by humidifying the pollen beforehand for about one hour, though this pre-treatment increased the percentage of germinated pollen grains more than the percentage stained. There was no difference between the two percentages in fresh or in deep-frozen pollen.
Pollen stored at 1°C and high relative humidity soon lost its germination capacity: between 0 and 20% humidity a considerable proportion of the pollen remained viable for 9 months and longer. Storage for the same period in vacuum-sealed glass tubes at −24°C maintained viability as well or better and would probably prolong it further. Some of the cold-stored pollen induced a reasonable seed set after one year, a low seed set was obtained even after two years of storage at 1°C and low humidity.
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Visser, T., De Vries, D.P., Welles, G.W.H. et al. Hybrid Tea-rose pollen. I. Germination and storage. Euphytica 26, 721–728 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00021697
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00021697