Abstract
Caraway (Carum carvi) is an economically important spice and medicinal plant of the Apiaceae family (syn. Umbelliferrae). Farmers often favor annual cultivation of caraway. However, the annual varieties, which are currently available, do not provide satisfying seed yields. Employing heterosis can be a promising approach to increase yield. Breeding of synthetic varieties utilizes heterosis and may be the method of choice for future caraway breeding. Knowledge of the outcrossing rate is important to evaluate the effectiveness of this breeding method. However, the outcrossing rate of caraway is unknown so far. We estimated the outcrossing rate of seven inbred lines under field conditions in a neighbor-balanced polycross design. For this purpose, we implemented a high-throughput genotyping system (PACE), accompanied by a high-throughput method for DNA extraction adapted to caraway. In total, more than 1300 individual plants were genotyped. We found a high variability of lines regarding outcrossing rate and other traits associated with flowering. The outcrossing rate was on average 66.5% and ranged from 51.6 to 82%. We discussed implications of our findings on the targeted breeding method.
Highlights
Caraway (Carum carvi L., 2n = 2x = 20 (Pank 2012)) is a spice and medicinal plant of the Apiaceae family
We assume that the applied neighbor-balanced polycross design should work to produce F1 seeds for general combining ability (GCA) testing in caraway
We found that high variability in flowering traits reduced the ideally endeavored random pollination
Summary
Seeds are rich in essential oil, whose major components are limonene and carvone (Ruszkowska 1998). The European Pharmacopeia (Ph. Eur.) demands a minimum essential oil content of 30 ml/kg for pharmaceutical use Only biennial varieties were grown in Europe until annual varieties were introduced in the 1990s (Nemeth 1998). Annual varieties can substantially decrease production costs and are of high interest for breeders and farmers (Pank 2012). Annual varieties had a low essential oil content (Pank 2012). Annual varieties do not gain satisfying seed yields compared to biennial varieties so far (Erpenbach 2012)
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