Gibberellic Acid + 2,4-D Improves Seed Quality in Hordeum vulgare L. ×H. bulbosum L. Crosses

Doubled haploid production from crosses between barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and H. bulbosum L. is a well established technique for inducing homozygosity. One problem which occurs using certain barley cultivars is premature seed degeneration. In this paper, a post-pollination spray of gibberellic acid and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid that delays the onset of senescence is described. The technique improved the number of high quality seeds to more than 75% of the seed set. This improvement should result in increased survival of embryos for culture and subsequent plant regeneration.     

Studies on Low Crossabilities Encountered with the Hordeum bulbosum Method for Haploid Production of Barley, Hordeum vulgare L.

Crosses were made between four spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars and five F₁, hybrids with one genotype of Hordeum bulbosum L. in two locations to investigate further previous low crossabilities which had been found in the barley cultivar ‘Apex’ with H. bulbosum. Data at all the main steps of the H. bulbosum technique were recorded and statistically analyzed. Significant differences between barley genotypes were demonstrated for all characters. It was confirmed that ‘Apex’ has poor crossability with H. bulbosum. Out of the three F₁ hybrids having ‘Apex’ as one parent, two exhibited low crossability similarly to ‘Apex’ but one showed significantly higher seed setting than ‘Apex’. The effect of the location was only significant on seed setting, while genotype X location interactions were significant on seed setting, seed quality and rate of haploid plants in relation 10 florets pollinated. Another problem which has influenced the success rate of the H. bulbosum method was found in the cultivar ‘Havilla’. Although seed setting and seed quality were high for this cultivar, embryo differentiation was low. However, this latter problem was found to influence less the overall success rate than poor crossability. Mahalanobis's distances were calculated and the dendrite of the shortest distances between barley genotypes was plotted.     

The inheritance of seed coat rupture in snap beans Phaseolus vulgaris L.

Summary Seed coat rupture known also as fish face, is a common seed problem in snap beans. Lines form the cross Tendercrop × Streamliner were classified as high (H), medium (M), and low (L) in their susceptibility to ruptured seed coat and were used as parents in an inheritance study. Crosses of H × L gave an F₂ segregation pattern of 1:2:1 for H:M:L classes and this was confirmed by F₃ data. The results suggest that seed coat rupture is due to a single incompletely dominant gene (Tr) with 25–50% penetrance. Tr is not linked with seed color or maternal factors.Journal Paper No. 1645 of the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva, New York, U.S.A.     

Reproductive capacity of F1 hybrids from Rosa rugosa and Chinensis cultivars

Summary Reciprocal crosses were carried out for 6 combinations of 4 R. rugosa with 3 R. chinensis cultivars. The parental combinations were evaluated for successful pollinations, seed germination and flowering and seed setting seedlings in populations of 3 year old plants. Seeds and viable seedlings were obtained from each of the 12 seedling populations. Only 3 populations produced female fertile offssprings. The average of seed setting seedlings was 1.5%. The percentage of flowering seedlings was significantly reduced in the offspring from certain parents. The success of cross pollination, seed germination and the ability to initiate flowers were influenced by cytoplasmic factors.The differences in fertility between the present hybrids and the only other rugosa x chinensis hybrid described, R. calocarpa (Andrê) Willmott, are discussed.Contribution No. 73/2.     

Allozyme variation in cultivars of Cucurbita pepo L.

Summary Cultivars of Cucurbita pepo were analyzed for their isozyme phenotypes by horizontal starch gel electrophoresis. Considerable allozymic variation was observed between cultivars, especially in the aspartate aminotransferase and malate dehydrogenase isozyme systems. Each of the five fruit types represented in the 21 cultivars tested (zucchini, pumpkin, spaghetti, acorn, scallop and yellow straightneck) could be distinguished by specific allozymes or combination of allozymes. Cultivars within a fruit type gave very similar allozyme phenotypes and often could not be distinguished on the basis of the 6 assays used. Despite the outcrossing nature of the species, allozyme polymorphism within most cultivars was low and did not seriously interfere with the analysis. Approximately half of the hybrid lines tested gave heterozygous phenotypes at one or more loci, indicating that such loci could be used to screen for the percentage of hybrid seed obtained from crosses.     

Identification of Maintainer Genes in Brassica napus L. for the Male-Sterility-Inducing Cytoplasm of Diplotaxis muralis L.

Male fertility of F¹ interspecific hybrid plants derived from crosses between cytoplasmic male-sterile Brassica campestris in Diplotaxis muralis cytoplasm and 147 B. napus cultivars was Investigated. F¹, plants obtained, from crosses with the B. napus cultivars‘Mangum’and‘Hinchu’were male-sterile while F¹ plants derived from all other crosses were male-fertile. This indicated that these two cultivars carried maintainer genes far the male-sterility-inducing cytoplasm of D. muralis. Sterility was stable In plants derived from backcrosses of male-sterile F; plants with‘Mangun and‘Hinchu’but the seed set of backcross plants was low. With restorer genes readily available in B. napus, these findings could lead to the development of a new cytoplasmic male sterility system for the breeding of B. napus hybrid cultivars.     

The evaluation of superior Hordeum bulbosum L. genotypes for use in a doubled haploid barley breeding programme

Summary Eight Hordeum bulbosum selections were produced from a cross between Cb 2920/4 and Cb 2929/1, two genotypes widely used in doubled haploid breeding programmes. The selections were hybridized with barley to evaluate their ability to produce high proportions of well-differentiated haploid embryos compared with Cb 2929/1 as control. We report here an initial small-scale investigation followed by a larger-scale test in two different environments to assess seed setting, haploid embryo differentiation rates and VB hybrid formation. These VB embryos contain both parental sets of chromosomes and occur more frequently in the glasshouse during the winter. Two of the eight selections were identified as combining the desirable characteristics of both parents, namely high seed setting on cv. Vada which is partially incompatible with H. bulbosum, large numbers of well-differentiated haploid embryos and a low incidence of VB hybrids. The selections are available for release to interested research workers and plant breedersAbbreviations DH doubled haploid - VB a hybrid from H. vulgare x H. bulbosum which contains both parental sets of chromosomes     

Transgressive segregation for reduced glucosinolate content in Brassica carinata A. Braun

Successful commercial utilization of the meal by‐product of Brassica oilseed crops requires the cultivation of cultivars with low glucosinolate (GSL) content in the seeds; however, such cultivars are not yet available in Brassica carinata. The objective of the present research was to search for transgressive segregants with further‐reduced GSL content in the progeny of crosses involving four B. carinata lines with reduced GSL content (90 compared with 120 μmol/g seed in standard germplasm). The four lines were crossed following a diallel design and F₂ phenotypes (F₃ seed bulked) were analysed for GSL content. F₂ phenotypes with a transgressive GSL content lower than the parents were identified in all crosses involving the line S2–1241, suggesting that this line carries alleles for reduced GSL content not present in the other lines. F_{3 : 4} lines from transgressive F₂ phenotypes were evaluated for 2 years, which resulted in the selection of an F_{3 : 4} line with an average GSL content of 58 and 46 μmol/g seed, respectively compared with 84 and 62 μmol/g seed, respectively in S2–1241.     

Gene flow from transgenic oilseed Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. into weedy Sinapis arvensis L. (wild mustard)

Gene flow from acetolactate synthase‐resistant (HR) Brassica juncea oilseed canola to related weed, Sinapis arvensis (density 1 plant/m²) was assessed in a 100 m² field plot of HR B. juncea. Two HR F₁ hybrids (H1 and H2) were detected among 109 951 seedlings screened with imazethapyr (hybridization frequency – 1.8 × 10^?5). Hybridity was confirmed using flow cytometry, B. juncea‐specific amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) markers, genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) and PCR‐based detection of B. juncea's HR gene. H1 and H2 had 2n = 27 and 2n = 45 chromosomes, corresponding 3x (SrAB) and 5x (SrAABB) genomic structures and reduced male fertility, 3.2 and 16.6% pollen viability, respectively. H1 was self‐incompatible, whereas H2 set seed when selfed (B. juncea trait). Selfed F₂, F₃ and F₄ plants showed HR trait persistence and vigorous growth and high (80–100%) pollen fertility in 22% and 39% of the F₂ and F₃ plants, respectively. No progeny were obtained from F_1, F₂ or F₃ hybrids × S. arvensis backcrosses, suggesting the likelihood of introgression of traits is low to negligible.     

Differential response of Vicia faba L. genotypes to 2, 3, 5-triiodobenzoic acid (TIBA)

Summary Response to application of the growth regulator 2, 3, 5-triiodobenzoic acid (TIBA) was examined in the parents and F₁ progenies of a diallel cross of six inbred lines of Vicia faba. TIBA affected the genotypes differentially but in general gave shorter internodes, reduced apical dominance, increased pod set on the lower nodes and earlier seed maturity.     

Assessment of conditions affecting Agrobacterium-mediated soybean transformation using the cotyledonary node explant

Conditions affecting Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], including seed vigor of explant source, selection system, and cocultivation conditions, were investigated. A negative correlation between seed sterilization duration and seed vigor, and a positive correlation between seed vigor and regenerability of explants were observed in the study, suggesting that use of high vigor seed and minimum seed sterilization duration can further improve transformation efficiency. Selection schemes using glufosinate or bialaphos as selective agents in vitro were assessed. Glufosinate selection enhanced soybean transformation as compared to bialaphos. The use of 6 mg L^-1 glufosinate during shoot induction and shoot elongation stages yielded higher final transformation efficiency ranging from 2.0% to 6.3% while bialaphos at 4 to 6 mg L^-1 gave 0% to 2.1% efficiency. Including cysteine and DTT during cocultivation increased the transformation efficiency from 0.2–0.9% to 0.6–2.9%. This treatment also improved T-DNA transfer as indicated by enhanced transient GUS expression. Shoot regeneration and Agrobacterium infection were attained in twelve soybean cultivars belonging to maturity groups I-VI. These cultivars maybe amenable to genetic transformation and may provide a valuable tool in soybean improvement programs. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Co-location of seed oil content,seed hull content and seed coat color QTL in three different environments in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica napus</Emphasis> L.

Increasing seed oil content is an important breeding goal for Brassica napus L. (B. napus). The identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) for seed oil content and related traits is important for efficient selection of B. napus cultivars with high seed oil content. To get better knowledge on these traits, a molecular marker linkage map for B. napus was constructed with a recombinant inbred lines (RIL) population. The length of the map was 1,589 cM with 451 markers distributed over 25 linkage groups. QTL for seed oil content, seed hull content and seed coat color in three environments were detected by composite interval mapping (CIM) tests. Eleven QTL accounted for 5.19–13.57% of the variation for seed oil content. Twelve QTL associated with seed hull content were identified with contribution ranging from 5.80 to 22.71% and four QTL for seed coat color accounted for 5.23–15.99% of the variation. It is very interesting to found that co-localization between QTL for the three traits were found on N8. These results indicated the possibility to combine favorable alleles at different QTL to increase seed oil content, as well as to combine information about the relationship between seed oil content and other traits.     

Seed Shattering of Cañahua (Chenopodium pallidicaule Aellen)

Cañahua (Chenopodium pallidicaule Aellen) is a semi‐domesticated relative of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) with high nutritious quality. It is tolerant to frost, drought, saline soils and pests. One seed yield limitation is seed loss during the maturity stages. Two greenhouse experiments in Denmark and field experiments in Bolivia were carried out to determine seed shattering in landraces and cultivars with different growth habits. 15–21 % of the seed shattering in the fields took place whilst the plants still were flowering and 25–35 % during physiological maturity. Seed shattering varied between locations on the Bolivian Altiplano. Cañahua types with the semi‐prostrate growth (‘lasta’) had the highest seed shattering rate in the greenhouse experiments. The Umacutama landrace had lower seed shattering (1 %) than the cultivar Kullaca (7.2 %) both of the ‘lasta’ type. Under field conditions, the cultivar Illimani with the erect growth (‘saihua’) had the highest seed shattering rate (6.4–33.7 %) at both locations and at four different sowing dates. The Umacutama had the lowest rate (0.5–1.5 %). There were no significant differences between plants of the ‘lasta’ and the ‘saihua’ types. The landrace had significantly less seed loss than the cultivars. However, in the greenhouse, the landrace yield was approximately 25 % lower than the yields of the cultivars. In general, cañahua cultivars had higher yield compared to landraces, but also a higher seed shattering rate. Landraces may be used in breeding programmes to develop high‐yielding cultivars with reduced seed shattering.     

Impact of heat stress on pod-based yield components in field pea (Pisum sativum L.)

Elevated temperatures associated with climate change result in crops being exposed to frequent spells of heat stress. Heat stress results in reduced yield in field pea (Pisum sativum L.); it is therefore important to identify cultivars with improved pod and seed retention under heat to mitigate this loss. Objectives were to investigate the effect of heat stress on phenology, yield and pod-based yield components. Sixteen pea cultivars were evaluated at normal and late (hot) seeding dates in the field in Arizona 2012 and in growth chambers with two temperature regimes (24/18°C and 35/18°C day/night temperature for 7 days) during reproductive development. We measured variation in the pattern of pod retention at four-node positions on plants, seed retention by ovule position (stylar, medial and basal) within pods and screened cultivars for pod retention, seed retention and yield. Heat stress reduced seed yield by accelerating the crop lifecycle and reducing pod number and seed size. Heat stress had the most damaging effect on younger reproductive growth (flowers and pods developed later), resulting in ovary abortion from developing flowers. Heat also accelerated seed abortion in all ovule positions within pods. Two high-yielding cultivars under control temperature, “Naparnyk” and “CDC Meadow”, maintained high yield in heat, and “MFR043” had the lowest yield. Cultivars “40-10” and “Naparnyk” retained the most ovules and seeds per pod, and “MFR043” aborted seeds when exposed to heat. In half of the cultivars, ovules at the basal peduncle end of pods were likely to abort while ovules at the medial and stylar end positions developed into seeds. For seven of the field cultivars, ovules at the medial pod position also produced mature seeds. Cultivars “40-10”, “Naparnyk” and “CDC Meadow” had greater pod and ovule retention or maintained high yield under heat stress, and were identified as heat-tolerant cultivars. Our results allow for a better understanding of pod-based yield components in field pea under heat stress and developing heat-tolerant cultivars.     

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers variability among cultivars and landraces of common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) of south-Brazil

To evaluate the variability among cultivars and landraces of common bean(Phaseolus vulgaris L.), 15 cultivars and 18 landraces of common bean (Phaseolus vulgarisL.), a undefined species of Phaseolus,two landraces of Vigna angularis L., and a landrace of soybean (Glycine maxL.), were screened with fifteen oligonucleotide primers in PCR reactions. An average of 20.3 RAPD bands were scored per primer. A total of 304 amplification products were scored of which 88.8% were polymorphic among Phaseolus genotypes. Based on the RAPD markers, four major clusters were formed. Three clusters corresponded to the soybean, to the two Vigna angularis landraces, and to the Phaseolus sp. landrace, respectively. The fourth cluster include all the landraces and cultivars of Phaseolus vulgaris. This large group could be separated into three subgroups that were correlated with the phaseolin patterns and the average seed weight of the genotypes. The analysis shows that most of the landraces collected in South Brazil (17 out of 18) belong to the Andean gene pool, and most of the cultivars (13 out of 15) belong to the Middle American gene pool. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Recurrent selection for increased protein content in yellow mustard (Sinapis alba L.)

Increasing protein content is an important objective in breeding high protein oilseed yellow mustard (Sinapis alba L). The objectives of this research were to increase meal protein content, study population variation during three cycles of selection for increased meal protein content, and quantify the relationships of protein with oil and 1000‐seed weight. Recurrent selection was employed with half‐sib family evaluation in replicated field trials. Meal protein content increased by an average of 1 % per cycle. The correlation between meal protein and seed oil content was negative (r= ‐0.49 to ‐0.58). The population shifts, with selection, reflected successful increase of average meal protein content, and an increased frequency of genotypes with high meal protein content. Furthermore, simultaneous selection for meal protein and seed oil content was possible. The correlation between meal protein content and seed weight was positive (r= 0.29‐0.39) and thus selecting for increased meal protein content posed no risk of decreasing seed weight in this yellow mustard germplasm.     

Breaking breeding barriers in Lycopersicon. 2. Breakdown of self-incompatibility in L. peruvianum (L.) Mill.

Summary Attempts were made to break the self-incompatibility in L. peruvianum by selection of mutated S-alleles through large-scale self-pollination on clones with pollen which was mutagenically treated in different stages of development. Besides self-compatibility was searched for in inbred lines.The self-incompatibility in L. peruvianum was found to be very strict indeed. From more than 22,000 self-pollinations on 5 clones 1527 seeds were obtained, seed set being very erratic. The possible causes of this seed set are discussed. From 1527 seeds 1036 plants were raised and tested for self-compatibility.In the progenies of 4 clones from 823 plants tested, 7 were more or less self-compatible. It is concluded that this self-compatibility was spontaneous and not the result of the mutagenic treatment.In the progeny of the fifth clone plants were found which reacted as self-compatible at a temperature of about 40°C and as self-incompatible at lower temperatures. It is suggested that this character—a high temperature sensitive incompatibility reaction—is governed by one recessive gene.In inbred lines plants were found with a stable form of self-compatibility and also plants with a high temperature sensitive incompatibility reaction.The problems of an incompatibility research on inbred material are discussed. A brief survey is given of some of the characters found in inbred L. peruvianum.     

‘Thermally aided pollination’: A new method of breaking self-incompatibility in Brassica oleracea L.

Summary Application of heat during self-pollination of open flowers by means of an electric mini soldering iron resulted in seed set in self-incompatible Brassica oleracea varieties. Temperatures of 60, 70 and 80°C were tested. Compared with bud-pollination, in some cases the so-called thermally aided pollination (TAP) method, gave a considerably higher seed yield at 70 and 80°C. In view of the ease and rapidity of TAP it should be ascertained how far this method can replace bud-pollination in maintaining inbred lines. The possible mechanism behind the TAP response is briefly discussed.     

Selection for seed set in crosses of Avena sativa L. × A. Abyssinica Hochst.

Summary Precoz oat line, discovered in a mass planting of wild oats in Colombia, is a tetraploid belonging to Avena abyssinica. It crossed easily with Kyto, but not with Bacata, both hexaploid oat cultivars. Pentaploid hybrid plants of Precoz × Kyto and Precoz × Bacata had 35 chromosomes, tended to have seven bivalents and 21 univalents at meiosis, and were completely sterile, Colchicine treatment of pentaploid F₁ plants produced decaploid tillers from which five amphiploid seeds were obtained. Selection for high percentage of seed set in the third and fourth amphiploid generations of Precoz × Kyto gave fifth generation plants with 80–100% fertility. The chromosome numbers of these plants approximated the octoploid level. Some derivatives from crosses of third generation amphiploids with hexaploid cultivars had the hexaploid chromosome number and good fertility.Pentaploid hybrid plants and amphiploid derivatives from them were as early in heading as Precoz when tested at either 12-or 15-hour photoperiods. This suggests that the photoperiod response from Precoz is dominant and has good penetrance.Journal Paper no J-7408, Project 1752.     

Further Studies on the Restoration of Fertility in Triticum durum×T. timopheevi Hybrids

Twenty one F₁ hybrids involving three Triticum durum cultivars and eleven forms of T. timopheevi were backcrossed to their respective durum parents. Backcross fertility (BC₁ grain set) of these sterile hybrids improved with the rise in temperature at the time of pollination. A mean temperature of less than 20 °C results in poor seed set while higher mean temperatures around 24 °C result in increased seed set. It is suggested that a large number of backcross seeds can be produced by pollinating these hybrids late in the season, i.e., after 20th of March in northern India.