Inheritance of a Male Sterile Apetalous Inflorescence in Zinnia Elegans

In vitro production of male sterile Zinnia elegans

“…The male sterile genotype is a useful method of hybrid seed production in zinnia, and the need for maintaining uniform male sterile breeding stock has been identified (Cowen & Ewart, 1990 ;Rao et al ., 1990) . Since clonal male sterile genotypes can be reliably micropropagated using techniques described here, a source of pure male sterile plants is now available .…”

“…A male sterile genotype exists in zinnia and has been beneficial in hybrid seed production (Cowen & Ewart, 1990) . This trait, however, is governed by three independently segregating loci and therefore, an optimum yield of 50% male sterile phenotypes results from the ideal cross of a homozygous recessive male sterile to a male fertile plant heterozygous at only one of the three key loci (Cowen & Ewart, 1990) .…”

“…This trait, however, is governed by three independently segregating loci and therefore, an optimum yield of 50% male sterile phenotypes results from the ideal cross of a homozygous recessive male sterile to a male fertile plant heterozygous at only one of the three key loci (Cowen & Ewart, 1990) . While an associated apetalous trait facilitates the use of the male sterile in hybrid seed production by affording easy visual identification and subsequent removal (roguing) of male fertile plants upon flowering (Cowen & Ewart, 1990), removal of one-half of the female line at flowering is uneconomical and the occurrence of bisexual flowers in the female line prior to roguing can lead to a mixture of inbred and hybrid seed (Rao et al ., 1990) .…”