Androgenesis—Technology for Obtaining Genetically Stable Breeding Material of Capsicum annuum L.

Abstract

Androgenesis in vitro is a basic method of obtaining haploid plants and DH (doubled haploid) lines of major crops such as potato, rapeseed, tomato, pepper, wheat, maize, and barley, and also many different minor crops and species with lower agricultural impact. Diploid plants appearing among androgenic regenerants are the effect of spontaneous doubling of the chromosome number in haploid cells during an embryo’s early developmental stages and are valuable fully homozygous breeding material. The subject of the presented research is spontaneous diploidization occurring in the development of androgenic, haploid pepper regenerants. In the presented experiment, the formation of diploid seeds was observed in the progeny of an androgenic, haploid plant derived in an anther culture of a hybrid (Capsicum annuum L. ATZ × Capsicum annuum L. `Corno di toro`)F2. Agromorphological and molecular analyses concerned eight diploid plants being progeny of the anther-derived haploid regenerant. Five of the plants constituted a phenotypically balanced group with valuable agromorphological features. Their genetic homogeneity was confirmed using 10 RAPD markers and 16 ISSR markers. Based on the results, it was concluded that anther-derived haploid plants of Capsicum can be the source of diploid, apomictic seeds, and the obtained offspring may constitute genetically stable, valuable breeding material.