Improving Crossing Efficiency by Exploiting the Genetic Potential of Allotetraploid Cooking Bananas

Conventional breeding involves considerable genetic recombination. To maximize breeding efforts, it is necessary to increase seed yield. This study proposes to improve seed yield by using tetraploid bananas as part of a genetic improvement programme for cooking varieties. To this end, the female fer...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inHorticulturae Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 62
Main Authors Dzoyem, Camille Ulrich Dzokouo, Touko, Guy Blaise Noumbissié, Youmbi, Emmanuel, Bakry, Frédéric
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.01.2024
Subjects
Banana
Bananas
Cooking
Crop yield
Diploids
Domestication
Embryos
Environmental aspects
Females
Fertility
Flowers & plants
Fruits
Genetic aspects
Genetic crosses
Genetic improvement
Genetic structure
genitors
Genomes
Meiosis
Offspring
Ovules
parthenocarpy
Physiological aspects
Plant breeding
Pollen
Polyploidy
progeny
Protein seeding
Seeding rate
Seeds
Sterility
varietal creation
Cameroon
Central Africa
India
Kolkata India
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Summary:Conventional breeding involves considerable genetic recombination. To maximize breeding efforts, it is necessary to increase seed yield. This study proposes to improve seed yield by using tetraploid bananas as part of a genetic improvement programme for cooking varieties. To this end, the female fertility (seeding rate and embryo sac maturity) of tetraploid banana plants was characterised. The pollen potential of tetraploids was then assessed at anthesis and at the end of meiosis, as well as during crosses with seminiferous diploids, leading to a phenotypic characterisation of the value of an offspring. This study highlighted the low seed production rate of tetraploid genitors. At best, 7% of seeds are produced per fruit, but 57% of the ovules per fruit have mature embryo sacs. The use of tetraploids as male parents, free from any source of sterility associated with the domestication process, did not generally improve the seed rate, except in the case of FHIA 21 (2930 seeds). Its pollen potential was used in a cross with Banksii 0623 (♀). This resulted in progeny with interesting vigour and phenotypic characteristics. This latter combination has the potential to transfer its “cooking” genetic structure.
ISSN:2311-7524
2311-7524
DOI:10.3390/horticulturae10010062