Refinement of techniques for long-term storage of pollen from different coconut varieties in coastal Andhra Pradesh

The present investigation entitled “Refinement of techniques for long-term storage of pollen from different coconut varieties in coastal Andhra Pradesh” was conducted from 2021 to 2022 (November to June) at the College of Horticulture, Venkataramannagudem, West Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh. This study investigated the effects of different storage methods [room temperature, refrigerator (4 °C), freezer (-20 °C), ultra-low Freezer (-60 °C) and liquid nitrogen (-196 °C)] on the pollen of different coconut varieties, viz., (ECT), (PHOT), (GBGD) and (COD) at 15 days intervals for up to 180 days of storage. The experiment was laid out in a Factorial Completely Randomized Design (FCRD), and mean separation was performed using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT) VIA SPSS 16.2. Pollen stored at room temperature and in a refrigerator is not viable after 180 days of storage. In contrast, the highest pollen viability %, germination percentage and pollen tube length were noted in liquid nitrogen stored pollen from the ECT (40.55±1.77 %, 39.96±1.32 % and 118.21±5.15µm), followed by the PHOT (38.98±1.70 %, 34.28±1.07% and 112.84±4.92µm) and GBGD (30.07±0.57 %, 29.87±1.21 % and 107.65±4.69µm), and the lowest values were observed in COD (28.35±0.55 %, 26.20±0.85 % and 102.05±4.45µm) pollen preserved in a freezer (-20 oC). In conclusion, using the liquid nitrogen storage method for the preservation of coconut pollen has proven to be a highly effective method for promoting better viability over the long term.