Variation in Pollen Fertility and Germinability in Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe)

Abstract

Eighteen ginger strains were collected mainly from Asian countries from 1985 through 1989 to investigate their pollen fertility and germinability. The pollen fertility test was performed in mid-October 1990, and that for pollen germinability was conducted during November 1990. All strains displayed low pollen fertility; three strains had pollen fertility ranging from 20.9% to 21.4%, seven from 10.6% to 19.0%, and eight from 0.9% to 7.4%. In the pollen germinability test, 14 strains used had very low germination rates; four had germination rates ranging from 0.15% to 0.22%, three from 0.06% to 0.10%, and seven from 0.00% to 0.02%.