MALE-STERILITY AS A SOURCE OF HAPLOIDS AND POLYPLOIDS OF GLYCINE MAX

Abstract

Haploids, diploids, triploids, tetraploids, pentaploids, and hexaploids were observed among the progeny of male-sterile (ms1/ms1) soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merrill). Seedlings from 167 polyembryonic seeds included 5 haploids, 304 diploids, 15 triploids, and 3 tetraploids. Polyembryony occurred at a frequency of 2.3% among 7,206 viable seeds obtained from male-sterile soybean plants. Although diploid seedling combinations were most frequent from polyembryonic seeds (77%), haploid-haploid, haploid-diploid, diploid-triploid, diploid-tetraploid, and tetraploid-tetraploid combinations were observed. Seedlings from mono-embryonic seeds included a haploid, diploids, triploids, tetraploids, pentaploids, and hexaploids. Highly polyploid individuals resulted from mono-embryonic seeds that were shrivelled prior to germination. Male-sterile soybeans, homozygous for ms1, appear to be a valuable source of haploids and polyploids.