In Vitro Pollen Germination - A Review

Pollen is a unique plant tissue that potentially can be used and manipulated to the advantage of the geneticist, breeder, physiologist, or germplasm curator. Since pollen of most species is haploid and each cell is independent, pollen has the potential to provide a microbial-like system for evaluation, assay, and selection. Whatever the interest and use, the viability of the pollen is necessary information. The ability of pollen to germinate on artificial media is widely used as a test of viability, especially for bicellular pollen. This requires a near-optimum germination medium and environment. Adequate media now exist for bicellular pollen from many species. Plant Growth regulators released as secondary metabolites by applied hormones may contribute to the growth promoting effects that enhanced early emergence of pollen tubes. The effect of either sucrose or boric acid individually showed good results, but sucrose in combination with boric acid promoted pollen germination as well as tube development, because boron makes a complex with sugar and this sugar-borate complex is known to be capable of better translocation than non-borate, non-ionized sugar molecules.