Plant Regeneration through Anther Culture and Induced Parthenogenesis in Genus Helianthus

ABSTRACT

Two possibilities, based on the androgenic and gynogenic approach for development of haploid plants in vitro, were studied in the Genus Helianthus. Six F1 interspecific hybrids between the wild species H.decapetalus, H.hirsutus, H.rigidus, H.mollis, H.eggertii and H.laevigatus, and the cultivated H. animus L. have been used as donor plants for anther culture. Anthers were plated on two different callus induction media: AA medium (Alissa et al., 1985) and mod. L₄M medium (Lenee P. and Chupea Y., 1985). Depending on the genotype callus induction occurred in a range of 50–100% on the mod. L₄M medium and 15–60% on the AA medium. Plant regeneration and shoot multiplication were observed in the F1 hybrids of H.eggertii, H.mollis, H.decapetalus and H.rigidus after the third transfer of the calluses on the B₅ hormone free medium (Chandler and Beard, 1983). For inducing gynogenic development 8 wild sunflower species (H. decapetalus, H. hirsutus, H.rigidus, H. eggertii, H. laevigatas, H. ciliaris, H. x laetiflorus and H. strumosus), were pollinated with inactivated through gamma—irradiation pollen of Rf line 147. The formed embryos were cultured in vitro. Seven plants of the variant H.x laetiflorus x Rf 147, where the pollen were treated with 600 Gy gamma rays, were grown in greenhouse.