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Abstract
Dried pollen grains of three date palm (male) cultivars grown in Oman were stored either in a freezer (-18°C), a refrigerator (4 to 5°C), or at room temperature (23 to 25°C) for 6 or 12 months. The three cultivars include Khori, Medjahdil, and Bahlani. Germination percentage was determined after 6 hours incubation in aerated and non- aerated liquid media. The results showed that date palm pollen was better adapted to refrigerator storage than freezing for all three cultivars, while room temperature storage significantly reduced pollen germination. Aeration was found to enhance germination of refrigerator- and freezer-stored pollen, but decreased that of pollen stored at room temperature for 6 months. The results also indicated that refrigeration might have caused the inactivation of pollen germination. The latter could either be overcome by aeration or reversed if pollen is refrigerated for a longer period. Room temperature storage directly reduced viability and did not induce temporary inactivation of pollen.