The Growth Activity and Fertilizing Capacity of Submersely Cultivated Pollen Tubes ofNicotiana tabacumL.

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Abstract
Tobacco pollen was cultivated in shaken suspension cultures and the growth estimated by weighing the mass of germinated pollen separated from the nutrient solution. A formula for calculating mean pollen tube length from the weight of the culture has been derived for this pollen species. The growth of pollen tubes in vitro is shown to have a rhythmic character. The rapid growth comparable to the mean growth rate in styles is limited to short time intervals alternating with progressively extending periods of very depressed growth, which ceased entirely after 10–12 h of cultivation. When tested by placental pollination in vitro, the fertilizing capacity of the pollen culture was found to increase during the first hour of cultivation but to decrease steadily thereafter. On the other hand, with the application of pollen tubes from culture on stigma, a short precultivation period and even the mere wetting of pollen had a negative effect on the seed set. With pollen cultivated longer than 4 h, no seed formation was observed.
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