Pollen biotechnology offers a powerful tool for (a) the optimization of crop production, (b) exploitation of hybrid vigor, and (c) crop improvement through breeding. A large number of papers on various aspects of pollen biology and biotechnology are being published in a variety of journals. There is no book that brings together various aspects related to pollen biotechnology. Because most researchers in pollen biology and biotechnology work in specialized areas, their interests tend to be confined to journals in their fields. This has resulted in a wide gap between biologists interested in fundamental knowledge on pollen biology and those interested in the application of this knowledge to crop production and improvement.

This volume aims to provide a comprehensive account, written by international authorities, of different aspects of pollen biotechnology. We hope that this volume will help bridge the gap between pollen biologists, and agri-horticulturists, foresters, and, particularly, plant breeders. The information contained should also help pollen biologists focus their research in areas directly relevant to crop production and improvement.

The introductory chapter gives a general account of the scope of pollen biology and biotechnology. The remaining chapters are grouped under four sections. The first section gives an overview of pollen biology and includes pollen development, pollination, and pollen–pistil interaction. This is intended to provide, particularly for nonspecialists, the basic information on pollen biology necessary for a better understanding of different aspects of pollen biotechnology covered in other sections. The remaining three sections include chapters pertaining to the role of pollen biotechnology in (a) optimization of crop production, (b) hybrid seed production, and (c) plant breeding.