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PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692
Online ISSN : 2319-7706 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com / submit@ijcmas.com Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39 NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38 |
The aim of present study was to access the pollen in- vitro germination of pollen grains of five citrus species belonging to the family Rutaceae viz., mandarin (citrus. reticulata Blanco) sweet orange (C. sinensis L. Osbeck) grapefruit (C. paradisi Macf.) pummelo (C. maxima Burm. Merr.) and tangelo (C. reticulata × C. maxima or × C. paradise) under low temperature storage conditions during year 2014. Pollen germination were checked up to 48 weeks, stored at different temperatures like 4ºC, -20ºC, and -196ºC. Pollen stored at low temperature (-196℃ and -20℃) showed better germination percentage as compared to pollen stored at 40C and room temperature. The cultivar Mosambi had maximum average germination percentage when pollens were stored at -196℃ (70.8 %,) -20℃ (66.3 %,) which was significantly higher than all other genotypes and followed by W.Murcott -196℃ (60.9%) -20℃ (48.5%). Minimum germination percentage was found in Marsh Seedless stored at -196℃ (21.7%) -20℃ (12.5%). The results indicate that pollen collected and stored at sub-zero temperatures from early blooming citrus varieties can be stored for very long period without any appreciable loss of germination. The stored pollen can be used along the whole blooming season for hybridization programmes by fruit breeders.