ARS | Publication request: ADVANCES IN GYNOGENIC HAPLOID INDUCTION PROCEDURE IN ONION

Submitted to: International Symposium on the Edible Alliaceae
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: January 30, 2001
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Successful haploid induction via gynogenesis was published more or less simultaneously in three laboratories one decade ago. Hybrid varieties produced from genetically uniform lines of onion are supposed to be superior to open pollinated varieties and conventional hybrids due to their higher uniformity and expressed heterosis, gynogenic lines can also serve as optimal material for several basic genetic studies. Despite more than a decade of research several problems remain to be solved to overcome low gynogenic induction ability of majority of non-selected genotypes and to enable formation of fertile doubled haploid lines. A series of experiments was performed to identify procedure for improved gynogenic ability of low-responsive lines or to analyze genetic effect in hybrids between responsive and low-responsive lines. To overcome difficulties associated with genome doubling a novel approach consisting of exposure of embryos immediately after induction by various treatments was tested on a large number of haploid regenerants. Data on all three topics will be presented and conclusions will be discussed. Briefly, new induction procedures can improve induction rate of low-responsive genotypes, hybrids do inherit gynogenic ability from their responsive parents and in some cases embryo treatments can replace in vitro treatments of longitudinally split shoots.