Effect of storage method on date palm and pistachio pollen viability

Abstract EN

This study was conducted on date palm and pistachio to establish short-, mid- and long-term pollen storage technique.

Pollen was stored in room temperature (24 oC ± 2), refrigerator (4oC), freezer (-5oC), and cryogenic storage (immersing 15 minutes in liquid nitrogen then stored in deep freezer -80oC) for up to 52 weeks.

New in vitro germination medium was modified to test date palm pollen, which consisted of 1 % agar, 8 % sucrose and 20 ppm citric acid.

In addition, pollen viability was tested by using 1 % 2, 3, 5–triphenlytetrazolium chloride (TTC) and 30 % sucrose for date palm, and 1 % TTC and 60 % sucrose for pistachio.

Cryopreserved pollen of date palm gave the best results; refrigerated pollen was conveniently stored for long period, while frozen pollen was conveniently stored for medium period.

On the other hand, cryopreserved pollen of pistachio could be stored for 4 weeks, while in refrigerator and freezer just for 2 weeks.