FRUIT TYPE EFFECTS EMBRYO YIELD, EMBRYO FORMATION TIME AND HAPLOID / DOUBLE HAPLOID PLANT YIELD IN PEPPER

Abstract

As it was in the other plants, there are various factors affecting the efficiency of in vitro anther culture used for "double haploidization" in pepper breeding. Among these factors, "genotype" is the leading factor. Pepper breeding companies need to know anther culture responds of different genotypes and plan accordingly in order to design their breeding programs. There are many different pepper fruit types, ranging from very small to large, and sweet to hot. It is imperative to predict for number of embryos that may turn into plants and the timing of the embryo formation in each pepper type. In present study, genotypes of California Wonder, Charleston, Bell, Jalapeno, Capia and Long green pepper types were used as plant material.  The number of embryos (embryos/bud), the first embryo emergence time (days/genotype) and embryo emergence durations were determined in anther culture. The results of the study have the potential to shed light on the efficiency of anther culture technique integrated into pepper breeding programs and the relationships for response to anther culture among different pepper types.