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Articles

Pollen Germination and Tube Growth: Dependent on Carbon Dioxide and Independent of Ethylene ¹

^a Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48823

The influence of ethylene and CO₂ on pollen germination and tube growth was investigated employing ventilated culture systems. Ethylene had no effect on pollen germinability or tube growth. Germinating pollen did not produce a detectable amount of ethylene (less than 0.1 nl/g·hr). Supplementing the cultures with CO₂ caused a marked increase in germination and tube growth. The half-maximal response for germination was less than 0.5%. CO₂ levels ranging from 1.08 to 2.22% were found in the internal cavity of lily styles. CO₂ derived from stylar metabolism may, therefore, modulate pollen tube growth thus integrating the events leading to fertilization.

¹ Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station Journal Article No. 5715.