In artificial hybridization, what is the next step after pollination?

Rebagging the flowers

In artificial hybridization, the next step after pollination is usually rebagging the flowers.

After the desired pollen has been dusted onto the stigma of the female parent, it is important to protect the pollinated flowers from any further contamination or unwanted pollen. This is done by covering the pollinated flowers with a bag of suitable size, typically made of materials like butter paper. The bag serves as a physical barrier, preventing the entry of foreign pollen and ensuring that only the desired pollen grains contribute to fertilization.

Rebagging the flowers helps maintain the integrity of the pollination process and ensures that the resulting fruits develop from the desired cross. By preventing the stigma from being contaminated with unwanted pollen, breeders can have better control over the genetic characteristics of the resulting progeny.

While allowing the fruits to develop is an eventual outcome of successful pollination, it is not the immediate step after pollination. The process of allowing fruits to develop follows after rebagging the flowers and ensuring that the pollinated flowers have been protected from any potential contamination.

Therefore, in artificial hybridization, after pollination, the next step is typically rebagging the flowers to protect them from contamination and maintain the integrity of the desired cross.