Question

Why is manual transfer of desired pollen grains relatively easy in pea plants for hybridization, but in wheat, pollen grains are often utilized from pollen banks for hybridization purposes?

Answer 1

1. Manual pollination is easier in pea plants because they have larger, bisexual flowers that are easy to emasculate, making the transfer of desired pollen simple.
2. In contrast, wheat flowers are small and enclosed in spikelets, and their pollen loses viability within about half an hour of release.

Therefore, pollen grains in wheat are often collected and stored in pollen banks at very low temperatures for use in hybridization.