Selection inherent in monoploid derivation mechanisms for potato

Abstract

Monoploid potato (2n=1×=12) can be derived either paternally through anther or microspore culture (androgenesis) or maternally through crossing with a haploid-inducing pollinator (gynogenesis). Androgenic and gynogenic monoploid populations, derived from each of two Solanum phureja clones, were compared in both greenhouse and field studies, and their frequency of cells at the 1x, 2x and 4x DNA contents was estimated by flow cytometry of in vitro plantlets. In 15 of 17 comparisons of morphological data (plant height, number of main stems, vigor, leaf length and width, internode length, tuber number and tuber weight) where a significant difference was found due to derivation, the androgenic monoploids were agronomically superior to their gynogenic counterparts (13–18% greater leaf size, double to triple the total tuber yield). Only plant height was significantly greater (26–27%) in the gynogenic monoploids. Flow cytometry revealed that the gynogenic monoploids retained 5% more cells at the monoploid level, whereas androgenic monoploids exhibited 27% more endopolyploid cells at the tetraploid level.