Long-term survival of cryopreserved sugarbeet pollen.

Hecker and coworkers demonstrated that sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.) pollen could be stored in liquid nitrogen vapor phase (-160°C) (LN) for 1 year and remain viable. We demonstrate that pollen, stored for 17 years in LN was able to pollinate sugarbeet and produce viable seed. two viability staining tests showed no significant differences between stored and fresh pollen, and differences in pollen tube germination were small. Long-term storage of pollen provides opportunities for uses in sugarbeet breeding and genetic resources preservation. In a heterozygous crop such as sugarbeet, collected pollen would be a way to pre serve superior, individual genotypes for use over long peri ods of time. In plant breeding, stored pollen could be used as a long term tester (individual genotype or population) or from an individual genotype as the parent in a recurrent backcrossing scheme for genetic analysis. Collection and storage of pollen could be a way to obtain a more represen tative sample of the genetic diversity in wild populations. With restrictions on the international transport of seed becoming increasingly stringent, pollen could be an alter nate way to distribute Beta germplasm. However routine use of Beta pollen collections requires a more complete understanding of physiological responses to LN storage.