Factors affecting in vitro germination of sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.) pollen were investigated to provide improved methods of testing pollen viability. Pollen germinated most frequently and consistently in a liq­ uid medium (pH 5.5, 100 ppm H3B03, 100 ppm Ca(N03)2 • 4H20, and 3.2 x lOs ppm sucrose in dis­ tilled water) at 23 C for 24 hours. Pollen collected less than 24 hours after dehiscence, humidified 15 minutes, and stirred into liquid medium at 0.3 mg! ml, germinated up to 82%, but mass-collected pollen commonly germinated 25 to 50% . Pollen tube length averaged about 570 J.Lm 24 hours after germination. Individual tubes over 1300 J.Lm were observed. Ger­ mination inconsistencies may result more from ger­ mination conditions and techniques than from the environment of pollen production. The methods de­ scribed should provide relatively consistent and ac­ curate in vitro measures of pollen viability. Additional