Production of Gynogenetic Plants of Onion (<i>Allium cepa</i> L.) after Crossing with Irradiated Pollen

Abstract

Abstract The possibility of producing gynogenetic plants with pollen inactivated by irradiation was explored for the onion ( Allium cepa L.). Two successive experiments included the use of cytoplasmic male sterility, recessive nuclear markers in the female plants and pollen irradiation of 150 Gy. Pollinations were achieved with the aid of flies and all seeds were harvested without the use of embryo rescue. Plantlets with recessive characters could be detected and they contained haploid and diploid cells. The development of these plantlets until flowering was observed under agronomic conditions. The use of doubled haploid (DH) plants in onion breeding is discussed.