TITLE:
Interspecific Crossing between Yam Species (Dioscorea rotundata and Dioscorea bulbifera) through in Vitro Ovule Culture
AUTHORS:
Himanshu Saini, Yukiko Kashihara, Antonio Lopez-Montes, Robert Asiedu
KEYWORDS:
Interspecific Crossing, Ovule Culture, in Vitro, Dioscorea rotundata, Dioscorea bulbifera
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.7 No.8,
June
22,
2016
ABSTRACT: In the present study, in vitro ovule culture technique was
used to obtain interspecific cross combination of Dioscorea rotundata ufenyi and Dioscorea
bulbifera wild. Ten days after pollination, ovules were excised and
cultured onto 1/2 strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium (Basal salt mixture
+ Vitamins) supplemented with 6% sucrose, 0.7% agar and plant growth hormones
such as GA3, BAP, Picrolam and TDZ. Cultured ovules were transferred on 1/2 MS
medium with 3% sucrose and 0.7% agar after three weeks. 40 days after
pollination, germination was observed from 7 months cultured ovule between D. rotundata ufenyi x D. bulbifera wild.
Hybridity of the regenerated plant was checked by flow cytometric method. A
close relation was observed between the fluorescence intensity of the obtained
progeny with one of the parents’ fluorescence. The observed progeny can be
closely correlated with an apomictic tissue from an ovule parent of D. rotundata ufenyi. Plantlets derived
from ovule culture were proliferated through in vitro shoot multiplication with hormonal concentration (0.5 mg/l
BAP) supplemented with 1/2 strength MS medium. Obtained ovule culture derived in vitro plantlets were successfully
hardened, acclimatized and transferred to the field, where they survived and
grew normally. In plant breeding, interspecific crossing is very important
technique, enabling the time needed to produce homozygous lines to be shortened
as compared to the conventional plant breeding techniques.