• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.147-152
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• 2010

Poor fruit set during winter period is one of the biggest problem in plastic tunnel watermelon cultivation. Hand pollination is inevitable to maximize fruit set of the winter watermelon. Productivity and viability of pollen grain and organic solvents for pollen storage were investigated. All cultivars produced more than 10 mg/flower except for 'Kumchun' cultivar. Pollen amount per flower were 13.8 mg in 'Bok' and 12.1 mg in 'Speedkul'. Germination rate of pollen grains incubated at $30^{\circ}C$ right after soaking in pentane solvent were 76% in 'Kumchun' as the lowest and 92% in 'Apollokul' as the highest. The pollen of 'Bok' showed the highest germination rate by 75% after a 15-day storage in pentane. All cultivars showed their pollen germination rate below 25% after a 24-day storage. Among the cuitivars, speed of pollen tube growth in vitro were relatively lower in 'Kumchun' and 'Sambokkul' by below $50\;{\mu}m/hr$. Pollen tube of these cultivars tended to burst during its elongation on the medium. Pollen stored 24 hrs in organic solvents showed 45, 39, 34, 23, and 19% of germination in pentane, ethyl ether, n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and acetone, respectively. Compared with light condition, pollen viability was higher in darkness during pollen storage in organic solvents. Pollen grain was susceptible to the organic solvent. The viability of pollen grains seems to be influenced greatly by duration of soaking pollen in organic solvent and the polarity of solvents. Organic solvent damages surface of pollen grain and extent of damage was varied by the solvents.