Response to in-vitro anther culture of F3 families originating from high and low yielding F2 barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) plants

The in-vitro culture response of anthers, originating from progeny of high and low yielding F2 barley plants selected under low (honeycomb pedigree) and high (conventional pedigree) plant density, was investigated. Young spikes were collected and after 28 days at 4o C for cold pre-treatment, the anthers were cultured in FHG solid medium. Progeny from 60 different F2 families were used and 39 of them responded to in-vitro anther culture, whereas only 15 families produced green plants. From the green plants produced, 1.90 plants per 100 anthers originated from the high yielding F2 plants selected at low plant density, and similar green plant production (1.65 plants per 100 anthers) originated from the high yielding plants selected at high plant density. However, only 0.07% green plants were produced from anthers originating from low yielding F2 plants selected at high plant density. In addition, 72.7% of green plants were fertile and produced seeds. The 67% of the families that produced green plants originated from the high yielding F2 plants, no matter whether they were selected under high or low plant density. From the families that produced green plants, anthers originating from the high yielding families produced more green plants per 100 anthers that the low yielding ones. In conclusion, there is a positive correlation between the yielding capacity of the lines and the anther culture response. Therefore someone must be concentrated on high yielding plants and avoid the low yielding ones to produce doubled haploids.