SHARMA, GIRISHTHAKUR, MOHIT2017-01-032017-01-03201247848http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/94106ABSTRACT The present investigation entitled “Pollination studies in Japanese plums (Prunus salicina. Lindl)” was carried out in the laboratory and experimental farm of Department of Fruit Science, Nauni (Solan). Flowering and pollination studies in eight cultivars of Japanese plum were carried out. The data on time and duration of flowering were recorded in each cultivar under study, from the start of flowering to when the last flower opened. The relative size of floral components was determined and pollens were studied for their morphology, viability and germinability. Fruit set under different modes of pollination namely selfing by bagging, hand self pollination, open pollination and cross pollination was determined. Fruits characters namely fruit size, weight, colour, stone size, fruit firmness and adherence of stone to flesh, and physico-chemical characters including TSS, total sugars, reducing and non reducing sugars, titratable acidity and sugar acid ratio were studied. The time of bud burst varied for about one month and average total number of flowering days was 15.37. Maximum flowering was on buds of one year old shoots and spurs, earliest was in Florida 1-2 and last in AURosa. Maximum stamens were in Queen Rosa and Santa Rosa i.e. 33.67. The pollen length and breadth varied from 33.18 to 43.46 μm and 19.98 to 26.19 μm, respectively. The pollen fertility ranged from 72.60 to 84.65 per cent. Pollen germination was highest in Santa Rosa (66.57%) after 72 hours, in 15 % sucrose solution . Cultivar Fortune was best in terms of fruit weight. Cultivars AURosa, Fortune, Queen Rosa and Frontier were found superior for fruit characteristics. Highest total soluble solids were found in AU-Rosa (15 ºB) while total sugars in ‘Frontier’. Cultivars Frontier and Red Beaut were free stone, while others were cling stone. Cultivar Santa Rosa resulted in maximum fruit set of 13.73% through selfing by bagging and cultivar Queen Rosa through open pollination (16.93%). The cultivars Frontier, Red Beaut and Santa Rosa were cross compatible with Santa Rosa, AU-Rosa and Queen Rosa and resulted in maximum fruit set. Santa Rosa pollen resulted in higher fruit set in almost all the cultivars. ‘Frontier’ although a self unfruitful resulted in maximum fruit set when crossed with Santa Rosa. Suitable pollinizers were selected for all the cultivars under study.enThesis