Cytological Techniques to Assess Pollen Quality

Abstract

Viable pollen is pollen that is competent to deliver two male gametes to the embryo sac. Methods to assess pollen quality aim to find the capacity of pollen - individual grains or members of a population - to deliver gametes. Pollen quality is normally measured 1) by scoring seed set in plants fertilized with a particular pollen sample, 2) by cytochemical staining of the grains, or 3) by looking at germination of the pollen in vitro or on styles. Table 1 includes the sequence of events that a viable pollen grain must complete. A failure at any stage gives male sterility, since the pollen is then unable to deliver the gametes.