POLLEN VIABILITY AND GERMINATION STUDIES OF POMEGRANATE CULTIVARS AND WILD GERMPLASM ACCESSIONS

DONALD SANGMA¹*, DINESH SINGH^2
1Department of Fruit Science, Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, 173 230, Himachal Pradesh
²Department of Fruit Science, Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, 173 230, Himachal Pradesh
* Corresponding Author : donsangma30@gmail.com

Received : 01-02-2017     Accepted : 05-02-2017     Published : 24-02-2017
Volume : 9     Issue : 9       Pages : 3930 - 3932
Int J Agr Sci 9.9 (2017):3930-3932

Keywords : Pomegranate, Viability, Germination, Sucrose
Academic Editor : Shaili Kumari, Prashant Kisanrao Nimbolkar, Neelam Thakur
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : The authors would like to thank the Dean (Horticulture), Dr. Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan (HP) for providing the necessary facilities for conducting the research work
Author Contribution : Donald Sangma: Carried out the experimental work and preparation of manuscript, Dinesh Singh: Identifying research problem and assisting in writing manuscript

Pollen quality is important for growers and breeders. Information on pollen characters viz. pollen viability and pollen germination is a pre-requisite for carrying out a meaningful crop improvement programme. The present investigations were carried out in the Department of Fruit Science, Dr. Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan (HP). Five cultivars namely Ganesh, G-137, Kandhari Kabuli, Bhagwa, Mridula and two wild pomegranate (Daru) germplasm accessions namely NT-1 and MH-1 were used for studying the pollen quality (viability and germination). Stain tests have advantages as indicators of pollen viability because they are faster and easier than pollen germination. But, in some cases, different results may be obtained in stain tests on some fruit species or cultivars. Therefore, to determine the actual amount of viable pollen, germination tests are necessary. Pollen viability was assessed by acetocarmine stain (2%), tetrazolium stain (1%) and erythrosin B stain (0.1%). The pollen viability in acetocarmine ranged from 86.38 to 97.81% whereas in tetrazolium and erythrosin B, pollen viability varied from 88.27 to 95.13% and 83.34 to 92.15% respectively. Maximum pollen germination was obtained in 10% sucrose solution after 72 hours with 42.34% germination and minimum (2.17%) was recorded in 20% sucrose solution at 72 hours. Some pomegranate cultivars and wild germplasm accessions showed no germination after 24, 48 and 72 hours in different concentrations of sucrose.