POLLEN CRYOPRESERVATION OF CAMELLIA

Camellia is one of the most famous traditional ornamental plants in China with rich germplasm resources.
Pollen from four Camellia species, C. chekiangoleosa Hu, C. amplexicaulis Cohen, C. euryoides Lindl. and C. japonica, and four cultivars of C. japonica, ‘DaHongJinXin’, ‘DaHuaJinXin’, ‘LiangYeJinXin’ and ‘ZiHuDie’ were cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen.
The in vitro germination level of fresh pollen was compared to pollen stored in LN₂ for one or five years by means of the hanging drop method.
The germination level of cryopreserved pollen for one year was not diminished compared to that of fresh pollen.
However, after five years’ storage in liquid nitrogen, pollen germination level of most species and cultivars decreased significantly except ‘LiangYeJinXin’. Although, the germination lever of all the pollen still exceeded 16%. Field pollination with one-year and five-year cryopreserved pollen showed no significantly difference from fresh pollen in terms of fruit and seed set.

I International Symposium on Cryopreservation in Horticultural Species

B. Li, H. Wang, Y. Liu

camellia, cryopreservation, pollen, germination

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2011.908.34