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Liquid Pollination of Alfalfa, Medicago sativa¹

Alfalfa pollen was treated 5 to 120 rain before pollination with four liquid solutions: deionized water, 50 ppm boric acid solution, 10% and 20% sucrose solutions in 50 ppm boric acid. Pollen in liquid was condensed to a slurry by absorbing excess liquid and applied to stigmas of male-sterile clones in a small concave spatula. Pollen from the four liquid solutions was equally effective in pollinations. Average seed set per 100 flowers obtained from pollen treated for 5, 10, and 20 rain was 386, 322, and 265 seeds, respectively. Seed set per 100 flowers after control pollinations was 534 seeds. The decrease of the seed set as the time of treatment increased was related to an increase in pollen germination prior to pollination. It appeared that only ungerminated pollen functioned in fertilization. Liquid pollination was also effective for diploid alfalfa. Use of liquid pollination, which allows treatment of the male gametophyte with various chemicals, was discussed.

Key Words: Male-sterility • Diploid • Tetraploid • Seed-set • Pollen storage and germination • Gametophyte

² Postdoctoral Fellow and Assistant Professor, respectively; present addresses: Department of Plant Breeding and Seed Production, Agricultural University, Cracow, Poland, and Agronomy Dept., University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706, respectively.

Received for publication February 21, 1969.