Production of Somatic Hybrid and Autotetraploid Breeding Parents for Seedless Citrus Development

Abstract

Allotetraploid somatic hybrid plants of `Nova' tangelo [a sexual hybrid of `Clementine mandarin (C. reticulata Blanco) × `Orlando' tangelo (C. reticulata × C. paradisi Macf.)] + `Succari' sweet orange (C. sinensis L. Osbeck), and `Hamlin' sweet orange (C. sinensis L. Osbeck) + `Dancy' tangerine (C. reticulata) were regenerated following protoplast fusion. `Nova' and `Hamlin' protoplasts were isolated from ovule-derived embryogenic callus and suspension cultures, respectively, and fused using a polyethylene glycol method with seedling leaf-derived protoplasts of `Succari' and `Dancy', respectively. Plants were regenerated via somatic embryogenesis, and somatic hybrids were identified on the basis of leaf morphology, root-tip cell chromosome number, and electrophoretic analysis of peroxidase and phosphoglucose mutase isozyme banding patterns. Diploid plants were regenerated from unfused protoplasts of `Hamlin', `Nova', and `Succari'. Tetraploid plants of `Hamlin' and `Succari' were also recovered, apparently resulting from homokaryotic fusions. No `Dancy' plants were recovered. The somatic hybrid and autotetraploid plants can be used for interploid hybridization with selected monoembryonic scions to generate improved seedless triploid tangor/tangelo cultivars. The lack of suitable tetraploid breeding parents has previously inhibited the development of quality seedless cultivars by this method.