The high demand for hybrid seeds has stimulated research to assure their supply and this includes pollen grain manipulation. The object of a study at the Embrapa Vegetable Institute in 2006 was to determine the tolerance of eggplant pollen grains of the 'Cica' variety to desiccation. Fresh pollen (control) and dry pollen were placed in closed aluminum containers with silica-gel and also in a laboratory desiccator for 24 and 48 hours. The pollen grains were used to pollinate female plants and the fruit set, production and physiological seed quality were measured from the first count test of a 100 seeds, including germination, seedling emergence and accelerated ageing. The results demonstrated that pollen tolerates desiccation up to 4.7% moisture content. Pollen grains with moisture content ranging between 4.7% and 47.2% gave good seed production without any affect on their physiological quality.
Solanum melongena; seed production; seed physiological quality
