Can I save pollen?

[annie]

Is it only the pollen that is a problem when the weather is hot and humid? (jtcm, when the dew point reading is low?)

Regarding this from the tutorial:

You could begin collecting pollen right then or wait till the next day. If you begin then, remove anther cones from opened or partially opened flowers from the other plant you want to cross (the male parent). Allow these anthers to dry out, if needed, so that they will open up to release pollen (on glass). Or just collect pollen then and keep it cool and dry till tomorrow.

Can the stigma be exposed and pollinated regardless of the weather?

If so, can I save pollen that has been collected earlier if the first attempts are unsuccessful? And how long will the pollen be viable?

[annie]

Maybe I should research things before asking a question...

So here is the answer, in case someone is interested:

"Pollen stored under the best conditions of the experiment (O deg. C. and low humidity) produced fruit after a year in storage but the practical limit for seed production appears to be six months."

tgc.ifas.ufl.edu/vol1/v1p11.html

[annie]

mulio

I was thinking about collecting pollen when the weather is coolest and dryest (maybe early in the plant's life) and maybe storing it with a dessicant pack and even freezing it. Then expose the stigma on other days when the weather doesn't need to be so dry (non-humid) to fertilize it.

[Do you know that every time I read your name, I don't think of a farmer with a mule or somebody mule-headed but rather Paul Simon's "Me and Julio Down by de Schoolyard"! It runs through my mind for hours afterward!]

[stratcat]

Thanks for the great info.

[darthslater]

Jul 3, 2010 13:42:57 GMT -5 annie said:

mulio

I was thinking about collecting pollen when the weather is coolest and dryest (maybe early in the plant's life) and maybe storing it with a dessicant pack and even freezing it. Then expose the stigma on other days when the weather doesn't need to be so dry (non-humid) to fertilize it.

[Do you know that every time I read your name, I don't think of a farmer with a mule or somebody mule-headed but rather Paul Simon's "Me and Julio Down by de Schoolyard"! It runs through my mind for hours afterward!]

I think of Mad Jack from Grizzly Adams with his mule no7.

[annie]

stratcat

YW! :-)

Darthslater! LOL!

Now, seriously, to reproduce the results claimed by these researchers, where can one get a small amount of calcium chloride to use as a dessicant? Or would any dessicant do?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_chloride">CaCl2

And how would you include a dessicant in a container with pollen to keep the pollen separate and dry? Sigh, such are the tedious questions about miniscule concerns!