Pollen banking for synchronized pollination : strategy to increase seed yield of mestiso 19 rice

Attainment of high seed yield in hybrid seed production is a function of the amount of pollen that the male parent can shed during pollination. Low pollen load of male parent (TG101) of Mestiso 19 rice leads to low seed yield. This situation limits the number of hybrid seed growers engaged in hybrid seed production of Mestiso 19. Artificial pollination, through collection and storage of sufficient amount of pollen may provide a solution to the problem. Additional pollen can be artificially loaded onto stigmas of female parent of Mestiso 19 (PRUPTG101) may increase seed yield. This study was conducted in dry and wet season 2016 at PhilRice Central Experiment Station to develop a technique in pollen collection and storage of TG101M. Pollens were collected at anthesis, 30 minutes and 1 hour after anthesis, then stored in amber glass, paper and ziplock plastics and stored in different 24, 48 and 72 hours in different temperatures (28 deg C, 5 deg C, -5 deg C). Pollens were grown in three media (media 1 (10% PEG+20% sucrose + 0.05% CaCI2 + 0.01% Boric acid), media 2 (3% Ca (NO3)2 + 5% Sucrose + 1% Agarose + 10% Boric Acid), media 3 (4% Calcium nitrate +14% Sucrose + 1% Potassium Nitrate + 1% Boric acid)) and were evaluated under microscope for pollen tube growth. Pollen viability decreased after anthesis. Growing grains in media 2 preserved pollen viability even after 1 hour after anthesis. Pollen germination decreased over time regardless of media used. Pollen tube length was consistently high at anthesis. The length of pollen tube growth from medium 2 did differ between 30 min and 1 hour. More than 50% viable pollen was achieved after 24 hours of storage. Pollen viability and germination decreased beyond 24 hours. To increase the viability of collected pollen for possible artificial pollination, grains must be collected at anthesis and stored immediately in amber glass under cold storage at -5 deg C.