Cross-compatibility between the Cultivated Tomato Lycopersicon esculentum and the Wild Species L.peruvianum, L.chilense Assessed by Ovule Culture in vitro.

Abstract

In this study the material of 'peruvianum-complex' was extended to L, peruvianum to confirm the efficiency of ovule culture ile vitro reported previously (IMANISHI et al., 1985; IMANISHI, 1988) and cross-compatibility between the cultivated tomato and the 'peruvianumcomplex' was assessed by the in vitro ovule culture. Four cultivars as the female parents and L. chilense (2 lines) and L. peruvianum (1 line) as the male parents were used. No normal seeds were found in the ovules taken from the ripe crossed fruits. Visual observation, however, suggested that a few ovules had the potential for germination, based on the characteristics described by IMANISHI (1988). In the cross between Early Pink and L. chilense (PI 128652), 30 ovules out of the large number of ovules were selected by the visual observation to observe embryos contained. Dissection under a microscope revealed 23 incomplete embryos in the 30 ovules . Ovules with this potential for germination were selected visually in the crosses between Early Pink or Kyoryoku Toko and three male parents. They had high germination rates when plated on MS agar medium (MURASHIGE and SI(ooG, 1962) without phytohormone. This result indicates that in vitro ovule culture based on the visual selection can be applied not only to L, chilense but also to L. peruvianum.