Standardization of Culture Media for In Vitro Germination of Pollen of Some Crop Plants

Dependable culture media have been standardized for culturing pollen in vitro of Zea mays, Sorghum valgare, Triticum aestivum, Gossypium arboreum, G. hirsutum, Hibiscus cannabinus (2n) and H. cannabinus (4n). In all the cases there was a marked increase in the pollen germination and tube growth where calcium complex (Ca(NO₃)2; MgSO₄; KNO₃) was added. The germination was either poor or nil when calcium ion was absent.