Pollen vigor and development of germplasm of Dendrobium officinale

OBJECTIVE: To provide the theoretical basis and applied technology for breeding superior species of Dendrobium officinale. METHOD: The peroxidase solution was used to test the pollen vigor in different flowering time and storage conditions. Cross, self and opening pollination were conducted in the green house, the subsidiary pollination by insects was carried out outdoors. RESULT: The pollen of D. officinale was still in vigor when the flower faded. The pollen vigor was only 29.4% in the buds, 70.6% in the bloom day, and decreased to 31.9% a week later, it remained still 21.2% 20 days later under the condition of dry and 4 degrees C. The fructification rate was about 82.6% and 7.3%, respectively, when the cross and self pollination performed by hand in the whole flowering time, the rate was 0 in the green house and outdoors. CONCLUSION: The pollen of D. officinale was still in vigor during the whole flowering time, the fructification rate was 0 in the green house and outdoors resulted from the specific structure of flower. The wild resources of D. officinale were protected and germplasm was developed effectively through the artificial cross pollination.