English abstract
Pollen of seven date cultivars was stored at 4.5 - 5.0°C using desiccators with or without silica gel and in vials outside the desicator as a control. Germination percentage was determined microscopically with a hemacytometer after harvest and at three and six months of storage, respectively, using a boric acid-sucrose medium. Cultivar genotype did not influence the viability of pollen. Pollen stored for six months gave a higher germination percentage (45.9%) than three months (40.9%) indicating that pollen requires more than three months at 4.5 - 5°C for the reactivation of its growth factors. An increase in relative humidity in storage containers resulted in reduced germination profiles. Germination percentages were 62.2, 42.9 and 22.7% at 18, 55 and over 55 relative humidity, respectively. Pollen stored in desiccator with and without silica gel gave a higher germination profile after six months than at three months storage whereas the control gave the lowest. The highest germination percentage was observed in pollen kept in a desiccator in the presence of silica gel for six months.
