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.