USE OF MALE STERILITY AND SYNTHESIS OF MAINTAINER LINE FOR HYBRID SEED PRODUCTION IN ONION (Allium cepa L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out and one cytoplasmic genetic male sterile line (Smsms) and two fertile lines were identified as maintainer lines (Nmsms). These two crossed materials namely 004 (Shallot x Red creole) and 008 (Shallot x Red pinoy) produced 100 per cent male sterile progeny in full sib and backcross generations. The Shallot x Taherpuri/Suksagor and Shallot x Hazera-202/Hazera-203 cultivar produced both male fertile and male sterile segregating progenies. It indicated that these materials are probably determined by dominant and recessive independently acting genes which was resulting the genetically impure lines. All other crossed materials produced 100 per cent male fertile progeny upon crossing with shallot. Thus, the materials Red creole and Red pinoy can be used as maintainer line for "Shallot". The performance of 904 F1 and 905 F1 hybrids over check (Taherpuri) and better parent was found to be preferably better using these CMS system.