Hybrid seed formation among Dioscorea opposita Thunb. cvs. nagaimo, ichoimo, tsukuneimo, and Dioscorea japonica Thunb

• Published in: Engei Gakkai zasshi Vol. 68; no. 3; pp. 591 - 597
• Main Authors: Asano, Y. (Aichi-ken. Agricultural Research Center, Nagakute (Japan)), Imagawa, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: THE JAPANESE SOCIETY FOR HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE 1999
• Subjects: CROISEMENT; CROSSBREEDING; crossing ability; CRUZAMIENTO; DIOSCOREA; Dioscorea japonica; Dioscorea opposita; HIBRIDACION INTERESPECIFICA; hybrid seed formation; HYBRIDATION INTERSPECIFIQUE; INTERSPECIFIC HYBRIDIZATION; VARIEDADES; VARIETE; VARIETIES
• ISSN: 0013-7626; 1880-358X
• DOI: 10.2503/jjshs.68.591

Three yam cultivars, Nagaimo, Ichoimo, and Tsukuneimo in Dioscorea opposita and 9 lines in Dioscorea japonica were artificially pollinated to observe capsule development and hybrid seed formation. A large number of normal seeds were produced in 7 combinations in D. japonica. Almost all of them contained an embryo (larger than 0.8 mm) which developed into seedlings when sown in soil or cultured in vitro. However, cross incompatibility existed among 4 combinations in D. japonica, and no normal seed was produced. In the combination of D. opposita and D. japonica (cv. Ichoimo x D. japonica and cv. Tsukuneimo x D. japonica), there was a difference in the seed-forming capacity depending on the D. japanica used for the pollen parent. Only a few seeds containing an immature embryo were produced in cv. Ichomo x cv. Nagaimo, cv. Ichoimo x D. japonica, cv. Tsukuneimo x cv. Nagaimo, cv. Tsukuneimo x D. japonica, and D. japonica x cv. Nagaimo. However, in these five combinations, some seedlings were obtained by the embryo culture. The results of this study suggest that crossbreeding of yam is possible