Partially fertile line with apospory obtained from tissue cuture of male sterile plant of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Monech)

• Published in: Annals of botany Vol. 76; no. 4; pp. 359 - 364
• Main Authors: Elkonin, L.A, Enaleeva, N.Kh, TSvetova, M.I, Belyaeva, E.V, Ishin, A.G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 1995
• Subjects: apomixis; callus; classification; cytoplasmic male sterility; flowering; flowering date; growth period; inflorescences; lines; male fertility; ovules; phenotype; pollen; rain; reproduction; reversions; seed set; Sorghum bicolor; tissue culture
• ISSN: 0305-7364; 1095-8290

A partial restoration of male fertility has been revealed in three among 20 regenerants from callus cultures obtained from the panicle fragments of the sorghum plant with cytoplasmic male sterility. Induced fertility is retained under self-pollination for eight generations. The pollen fertility level in every generation varies in different plants (0-70%) and depends on the environmental factors, rather than on plant genotype. A high positive correlation (r = 0.90; P < 0.01) has been revealed between the pollen fertility level and the total rain precipitation during the microgametophytogenesis. Cytoembryological investigation of this line has shown the presence of structures similar to aposporous embryo sacs (ESs), which have developed in the ovules along with the sexual ESs. The ovules with aposporous formations have been observed almost in all of the studied plants in several generations, however, their frequency varied (2-53 %). Parthenogenetic proembryos and endosperm nuclei without signs of pollen tube penetration have been found in some of such ESs. The nature of the instability observed in a number of generations in male and female generative structures is discussed.