A variation on this technique for achieving self-fertilization is to microwave pollen from a different related species for 60 seconds or so and mix it together with the selfing pollen and apply to the stigma. The idea being that pollen from the related species (now dead from microwaving) will retain a chemical or possibly mechanical signal that is acceptable to the stigma. During this process the pollen from the same flower or clone gets past the self-incompatibility barrier amidst the confusion. I am told this can work but the one or two times I've tried it was not successful. As Nhu said, persistence is key in uncertain precedures. Dylan Hannon *"The greatest service which can be rendered any country is to add an useful plant to its culture…" --**Thomas Jefferson* _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.ibiblio.org http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/