A Simple Method for the Germination of Pollen Maize and Potato (Abstract)

In connection with studies of the effect of ecological factors on pollination and yield of maize, a reliable method for rapidly evaluating the viability of pollen has been developed. With both maize and potato pollen as high as 90 percent germination has been secured within 30 minutes after inoculation on a nutrient solution containing only agar, cane sugar and water. The growth of the tubes begins within ten minutes, is sufficiently rapid to be plainly visible under the microscope, and may continue until a tube length fifty times the diameter of the pollen grains is reached. Protoplasmic streaming is strikingly rapid. Preliminary tests indicate that the method may be useful for germinating the pollen of many species, providing an easily performed, stimulating experiment for elementary students