Production and Utilization of Anther‐Derived Haploids in Crop Plants1

The production of large numbers of haploid plants from the culture of immature anthers on chemically defined agar media is now possible with a number of plant species. Data are presented which illustrate that media formulation, environment under which plants produce anthers, anther culture environment, cytological stage of the microspores, and genotype of the cultured species influence the successful production of haploid plants by anther culture and should be considered in attempting to obtain haploid plants by anther culture in other species. Several methods are now being successfully used to double the chromosome number of haploid plants. Haploid plants and homozygous diploid derivatives from these haploid plants are being used in both practical and fundamental studies. Superior breeding lines in Nicotiana, characterized by changes in chemical and agronomic traits, have been developed by the haploid procedure. Haploid plant material is particularly useful in induced mutagenesis studies. Anther culture has also been instrumental in the development of nullihaploid, nullisomic, trisomic, and tetrasomic aneuploid stocks in Nicotiana tabacum.