Individual reaction of Capsicum F2 hybrid genotypes in anther cultures

The present study evaluated the individual plants reaction of F-2 hybrid generation of C. annuum: ATZ1 x PO and ATZ1 x CDT as well as two interspecific hybrids: C. frutescens x C. annuum ATM1 and C. frutescens x C. chinense on androgenesis conditions in in vitro anther cultures. The experiment was carried out following a modified method of Dumas de Vaulx et al. (Agronomie 1:859-864, 1981). There were demonstrated clear differences in the effectiveness of androgenesis both between the pepper hybrid forms as well as among individual plants of all the genotypes tested. The highest effectiveness of androgenic embryos development was observed for the cultivated form of C. annuum: (ATZ1 x PO)F-2. Anthers of most of the plants of this hybrid produced embryos at the level higher than 5%, while in anther cultures of the second C. annuum hybrid (ATZ1 x CDT)F-2 almost 3-fold fewer embryos and plants were produced. Anthers isolated from flower buds of interspecific hybrids formed much lower number of embryos. A positive reaction was recorded for five hybrid plants of (C. frutescens x C. annuum ATM1)F-2, while in case of (C. frutescens x C. chinense)F-2 androgenic embryos were obtained from anthers of two plants. Only in the case of a one of these plants did the effectiveness of androgenesis exceed 5%. The ploidy level of the regenerants was determined by flow cytometry. Among the regenerants there were observed both haploid forms and the plants with the diploid number of chromosomes.