Fruit production in kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) using preserved pollen

Abstract

The influence of temperature and storage period on pollen quality of Actinidia deliciosa (A. Chev.) C. F. Liang & A. R. Ferguson was studied. Pollen collected from male flowers was stored under different conditions (20°C, 65% RH; –20°C, 51% RH; –80°C, 55% RH and –196°C by direct immersion in liquid nitrogen). During the preservation period, viability and in vitro germination percentages were evaluated at regular periods. The results show that –20°C was the best temperature at which to preserve pollen of A. deliciosa because it retains high viability and germination. At 20°C, germination was totally lost within 8 weeks, and at –80°C or –196°C germination drastically dropped over the same period of preservation. In the 2002 blossoming season, the pollen preserved at –20°C was used for hand pollination in order to estimate its seed set capacity. Thirty days after fruit-set, all fruits were long and well shaped, indicating a successful pollination. Our results indicate a simple and reliable method to preserve pollen of A. deliciosa that can be easily used by farmers.