Embryo Sac Analysis and Crossing Procedure for Breeding Apomictic Guineagrass (Panicum maximum Jacq.)

Japan Agricultural Research Quarterly
ISSN 00213551
NII recode ID (NCID) AA0068709X
Full text

In Japan, the hybridization method for breeding or apomictic guineagrass has been adopted only after the isolation of an obligately sexual accession in the collections introduced from East Africa by a joint plant collection mission of the Tropical Agriculture Research Center and the National Grassland Research Institute in 1971. The breeding of apomictic species, such as guineagrass, requires identification of reproduction mechanism and establishment of efficient crossing procedures. Two embryo sac analyses, i.e. a paraffin sectioning method and two cleaning methods, were applied to guineagrass for comparison. An efficient Procedure for hybridization in the breeding program of apomictic guineagrass is proposed. The results of the present study indicate that the paraffin sectioning method is available for histological studies on development of embryo sacs, through it requires a skilled technique and much time, while the cleaning methods are quicker and simpler than the paraffin sectioning method. There are no significant differences between the two methods in identifying reproduction methods. A plastic bag method can be effectively used for emasculation and hybridization of guineagrass. An advantage of using apomixes in the breeding program is to provide an efficient method for fixing desirable genotypes of F1 hybrids and simplifying commercial seed production. For practical use of apomictic guineagrass, it may be necessary to mix a few apomictic lines with diverse cytoplasms and genetic backgrounds for protection from pathogens infecting specific cytoplasms.

Date of issued
Creator Hiroshi NAKAGAWA
Available Online
NII resource type vocabulary Journal Article
Volume 24
Issue 2
spage 163
epage 168
Language eng

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