Effectiveness of Pollen Germination Media for Improving Storage Potential in Pomegranate (Punica granatum) Germplasm

Viable pollen grains with the ability to germinate after fertilization are necessary for fruit and seed formation. Pollens are sensitive to environmental conditions and quickly lose their viability after anthesis. In vitro storage potential of pollen grains depends on species, genotype, flower type, and storage conditions. The present study's objective was to evaluate pomegranate germplasm's storage potential and to study germination media's influence on short-term stored pollen's germination percentage. Pollens of fifteen pomegranate genotypes were collected and stored at 4 °C for 30 days. Pollen viability was assessed using in vitro pollen germination by the agar-Petri method. The germination media was composed of different concentrations of sucrose, boric acid, and agar. The results showed that germination media (12.5% sucrose + 0.2% agar) supplemented with 10 ppm boric acid gave the highest germination among all cultivars. Among genotypes, maximum (58.3%) germination was observed in Desi and Kandhari red pollens, and minimum (16.3%) was observed in Sandhora. The concentration of boric acid in germination media influenced pollen germination. The highest pollen germination was found at 10 ppm, followed by 5 ppm, and the lowest germination was found in media with no boric acid. Conclusively genotypes show variation in storage potential, and germination media influences post-storage germination rate. The utilization of effective germination media can increase the pollen germination rate for pomegranate genotypes.