For a long time, pollen germination, tube elongation and double fertilization have been fascinating research topics for plant biologists. Reception or rejection of pollen by the female stigma is an evolutionary strategy that plants have adapted to ensure successful sexual reproduction, species preservation and biodiversity generation. Important molecular and biochemical mechanisms involved in these events include diverse signalling, cellular differentiation and endomembrane trafficking of pollen germination and tube growth. Understanding the molecular basis of pollen germination in cereals holds great potential to improve yield. Pollen, a highly specialized haploid male gametophyte, transports sperm cells through a pollen tube to the female ovule for fertilization, directly determining grain yield in cereal crops. Although insights into the regulation of pollen germination and gamete interaction have advanced rapidly in the model Arabidopsis thaliana, the molecular mechanisms in monocot cereals remain largely unknown. Recently, pollen-specific genome-wide and mutant analyses in rice and maize have extended our understanding of monocot regulatory components. We highlight conserved and diverse mechanisms underlying pollen hydration, germination and tube growth in cereals that provide ideas for translating this research from arabidopsis. Recent developments in gene-editing systems may facilitate further functional genetic research.