Changes of carbohydrate content during Lilium and Gladiolus pollen cryopreservation

Abstract

Pollen germination of Lilium davidi var. unicolor and Gladiolus × hybridus after storage at −80 °C and 4 °C were investigated in relation to the changes in the carbohydrate content. Germination was found to be directly related to the type of carbohydrate and its content in the pollen grains. With higher sucrose, glucose and fructose contents, L. davidi pollen showed higher germination than G. × hybridus pollen and maintained higher germination rate during storage. The total sugar content of both species preserved at −80 °C was higher than those preserved at 4 °C, suggesting that the pollen grains maintained their viability much longer at −80 °C than at 4 °C. The increase in the viability can be correlated to the increase in the starch and sucrose content especially when the pollen was stored at 4 °C.