Cultivar and cultivar x environment effects on the development of callus and polyhaploid plants from anther cultures of wheat

Abstract

Plants of three common wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em. Thell) cultivars and one randomly selected doubled-haploid line derived by anther culture from each of the three cultivars were each grown in three environments, a field environment, a greenhouse environment, and a growth chamber environment. Anthers containing largely miduninucleate to late uninucleate microspores were cultured and calli were induced to regenerate plants in order to assess the effects of cultivar, cultivar family (cultivar and corresponding doubled-haploid derivative), anther-donor plant environment, and cultivar X environment interaction on androgenic responses. Large differences in response were observed among cultivars as well as between cultivars and doubled-haploids. Differences between cultivar and doubled-haploid within cultivar family usually resulted from higher frequency of response in the cultivar, contrary to the hypothesis that anther culture per se constitutes a general selective device for superior androgenic responses. Also, in a second experiment, anther callusing frequency was greater in the cultivar 'Kitt' than in any of five unique doubled-haploid lines derived from 'Kitt'. Significant effects were also observed in the first experiment for the interactions of cultivar family X environment as well as doubled-haploid vs. cultivar X environment, although the effect of environment itself was less significant than these interactions.