Effect of Storage Temperature and Containers on Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Pollen Viability and Post-storage Pollination

Abstract

Artificial pollination is one of the major constraints in date palm cultivation, while the unavailability or timely availability of pollen during the flowering period elevates the problem. One of the common practices is the use of stored pollen, but while stored at room temperature, pollen viability rapidly deteriorates after two to three months. In the present experiment, pollens were stored at ambient temperature and in a freezer at − 4 °C and a refrigerator at 5 °C using different storage containers for a year. The stored pollens were tested every month for 12 months for their pollen viability using acetocarmine as a staining agent. These stored pollens were then used for pollination, and on-farm fruit retention percentages were calculated. The best result for pollination was observed with the fresh pollen, while pollen stored at − 4 °C in a glass bottle gave the second-best results and can be used as an alternative in cases of pollen scarcity.