Pollination.

Abstract

Abstract Pollination is effected through a window in the specialized isolation bag. This reduces the risk of contamination (pollen, disease and insects). Prior to pollination, the area around the isolation bag is sprayed to kill insects, as these can carry unwanted pollen. Pollen is normally mixed and diluted with talcum powder to provide a volume easy to handle. This mixture is blown on to receptive female inflorescences using specialized equipment that has been surface sterilized. The isolation bag is also shaken to spread the pollen over the entire inflorescence. Labels are then attached showing pollination dates and parental genotypes. The isolation bags may be removed once fruit set is established and harvested when fruits are mature. Pollination is normally carried out in the morning, when nectar is visible on female florets. Mature pollen grains of oil palm are binucleate, containing one vegetative and one generative nucleus. When the pollen grain arrives on a receptive stigma of a female inflorescence, it begins to germinate. The pollen tube grows down the style, carrying with it the two nuclei; the generative nucleus divides to produce two sperm cells, which are deposited into the ovary, where they effect fertilization (see Chapter 1, Section 1.4 of this manual). For more details on oil palm pollen development, see Nasution et al. (2009).