Short-term storage of almond pollen

Almond [Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb] breeding programs require successf ul techniques for pollen storage. We studied the pollen viability of two al mond cultivars, 'Ramillete' and 'Desmayo Largueta', during 8 weeks of stora ge, in conditions that simulated standard situations including storage at 4 , 22, and 4 degreesC alternating with 22 degreesC (4 degreesC/22 degreesC). Viability remained at 60% or more for 2 weeks under all three conditions. After the second week, germination capacity decreased rapidly at 22 degrees C, but remained above 50% for as long as 8 weeks at 4 degreesC or 4 degrees C/22 degreesC.