How to cross-pollinate

When cross pollination is carried out, the following steps should be followed:

(1) Before cross-pollination, in order to prevent the female parent from self-pollination, all the stamens should be removed first, and it is best to peel off the petals before the flower buds are fully unfolded, either all the stamens or all the petals together. Wear transparent paper bags immediately after castration.

(2) Collection and storage of pollen The male and female parents of different varieties have early and late flowering periods. The pollen of the male parent can be collected and preserved in advance, and then pollinated after the female parent blooms. When collecting powder, use a new brush to collect pollen, or pull it down with filaments, collect it in a clean glassware, and then put it in a dark refrigerator or the lower layer of a cold box, and store it in an environment with a low temperature of 5 ~ 10℃ and a relative humidity below 50%. In order to prevent pollen grains from getting wet, a bag of desiccant such as calcium chloride or decolored silica gel can be wrapped in fine gauze, put in a container filled with pollen, and then put in a refrigerator, which can generally be stored for more than one month.

(3) Artificial pollination When both the male and female parents are mature, pollen can be collected for pollination. If the filaments of stamens are thicker and the anthers are fatter, they can be directly pulled down and gently smeared on the stigma of pistil. If the filaments of stamens are too small to be pulled out, you can dust the pollen on white paper or glass plate with a new brush, then dip the pen tip with pollen and smear it on the stigma of pistil. Artificial pollination should be carried out twice a day or repeated every other day. After each pollination, the flowers are still covered with paper bags, and a sign with the parents' name and pollination date is hung. When young fruits are produced, remove the paper bag.