STUDYING THE EFFECT OF GENOTYPE AND INDUCTION NUTRIENT MEDIUM IN MAIZE ANTHER CULTURE

The successful production of dihaploid maize lines by anther culture has until now been restricted to a narrow range of genotypes, the majority of which are unimportant from the point of view of commercial hybrid production. To integrate anther culture into maize breeding, it would be necessary to enlarge the range of inducable genotypes. In the authors' trials the androgenetical ability of 10 important inbreeding genotypes was examined on 5 different induction nutrient mediums. The results indicated that the induction ability of the genotypes tested was different, it depended considerably on the nutrient medium applied. Embryoid or callus was not induced in any of the 10 lines on PNC nutrient mediums, the most efficient medium seemed to be N6+cocomilk. A characteristic reaction to nutrient medium of the varieties tested was that majority of the genotypes were induced only on N6+coco milk, however, the variety EA 2128 showed positive induction on three nutrient mediums. The result of cytological tests called the attention to the fact that the frequency of multicellular pollen grains developed within the anther-wall and of the embryoids distending from anther is essentially varying, namely the developing embryoids are either incapable of breaking the anther-wall or the dying anther produces such materials which might be toxic. It is noteworthy that the authors did not use pre - treatments - the importance of which was suggested by literature -, neither did they investigate the possible use of well-developed techniques of liquid culture, so the application of such methods might essentially the induction frequency of androgene genotypes.