Application of in vitro organ culture in wide-cross breeding of rapeseed

Abstract

Oil radish (Raphanus sativus var. raphanistroides Makino) is resistant to drought and low temperature. In order to breed more resistant cultivars of rapeseed, the wide cross between rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) and oil radish was made. Rapeseed was not compatible with oil radish, and the frequency of hybrid plants (F1) was very low. Moreover, the hybrid plants were sterile. In order to recover the intergeneric hybrids (F1), the in vitro organ culture technique was applied in our experiments. The frequency of hybrid plants (F1) was increased up to 25.55% by means of in vitro culture of pollinated ovaries. Some fertile amphidiploid hybrid plants were obtained by means of colchicine treatment of small buds obtained from cultured flower receptacle segments of hybrid plants (F1). It is suggested that the technique of in vitro culture of pollinated ovaries and flower receptacle segments is useful in the wide-cross breeding of rapeseed.