Production of Alien Addition Lines in Polyploid Bunching Onion (Allium fistulosum) Carrying 1A Chromosome(s) of Shallot (Allium cepa) and Their Application to Breeding for a New Vitamin C-Rich Vegetable

Abstract

Eight Allium fistulosum L.–Allium cepa L. Aggregatum group (shallot) monosomic addition lines (2n = 17, FF+1A–FF+8A) have been useful in revealing the effects of single alien chromosomes from A. cepa on the production of l-ascorbic acid in the leaf tissue of A. fistulosum. In this study, the determination of ascorbic acid content revealed that the incorporation of alien chromosome 1A into a diploid background of A. fistulosum increased the internal ascorbic acid content of the leaf blade tissue. We produced a 1A disomic addition in the tetraploid of A. fistulosum (2n = 34) and demonstrated high-frequency transfer of the alien chromosome in crosses with A. fistulosum. Five plants of the 1A disomic additions were regenerated via apical meristem culture of the FF+1A on a Murashige and Skoog medium containing colchicine. These 1A disomic additions showed partial fertility for female and male gametes. Most of the progenies from selfing of the 1A disomic additions and reciprocal crossing with A. fistulosum possessed chromosome 1A. Interestingly, 64% (18 of 28) of the plants obtained from the reciprocal crosses were 1A monosomic additions in a triploid background of A. fistulosum. These monosomic additions were more vigorous and vitamin C-rich than euploid plants of A. fistulosum.