Wow interesting, never knew that.

It isn't that the pollen is "sterile" (as in never capable) but that it is reduced in number of grains and no longer viable under those conditions. Its form becomes tacky, clumps of grains form and its basic composition shifts (the balance between starches and sugars becomes skewed) and it dies. Can it be collected and stored? Yes, hybridizers do it all the time. But the storage conditions are quite specific and its viability continues to decline even under ideal storage.

See:

Storage Life and Viability of Tomato Pollen

Long-Term Viability of Tomato Pollen

Dave

Interesting. If you had such a supply of pollen, how do you fertilize flowers? Just a Q-tip? Why would running a Q-tip around inside a flower with added pollen do any more in hot conditions than running a Q-tip around a flower without any added pollen? Isn't there is plenty of pollen in the flower but it's just tacky and doesn't want to fall?

I guess the simple question is why, when the pollen is hot and tacky, you can't just manually stir it around in the flower to fertilize. I'll bet it would just take a few seconds to do that in one flower.

Thanks Dave. It seems Cottrell-Dormer (1945) anticipated our use of the electric toothbrush as a vibrator over a half century ago and they could have done with Dustbuster and some plastic tubing.

"Why would running a Q-tip around inside a flower with added pollen do any more in hot conditions than running a Q-tip around a flower without any added pollen? I"

Dan - two different situations addressed. Under hot high humidity conditions saved dry pollen might increase the odds of effective pollination but you sure would have to move fast before the pollen got hot. :-) And given the chemical changes that take place in all parts of the bloom, might not make any difference at all.

But hybridizers - the one who save and store pollen don't use it in hot conditions but in controlled ideal conditions with a fine brush (like most MJ growers do).

" Isn't there is plenty of pollen in the flower but it's just tacky and doesn't want to fall?"

Not really. As the above links discuss not only is the amount of pollen severely reduced but it is chemically altered so even if it does come into the necessary contact it isn't viable.

Dave