Rapid‐cycling Brassica species: anther culture potential of B. campestris L. and B. napus L.

summary A study was made of the production of embryoids by cultured anthers of rapid‐cycling populations of Brassica campestris L. and Brassica napus L. In the case of B. campestris, best results were obtained when anther donors were grown at 24 °C with continuous light; anthers were excised from 1.6–2.00 mm buds with the pollen at the mid‐uninucleate stage of development and were cultured on a solidifed Brassica anther culture medium of Keller & Armstrong (K), and when incubation was at 35 °C for 1 day, followed by 30 °C for 1 day and then continuous incubation at 25 °C. The response to anther culture of B. napus was generally very poor compared with that of B. campestris but the best results were obtained when anther donors were grown at 18 °C with continuous light; anthers were excised from 2.1–2.5 mm long buds with the pollen at the mid‐uninucleate stage of development, were cultured on a liquid formulation of K medium, and incubation was at 35 °C for 1 day, followed by 30 °C for 6 days and then continuous incubation at 25 °C.