EFFICIENCY OF EMBRYO RESCUE FROM CROSSES BETWEEN TOMATO (LYCOPERSICON ESCULENTUM) AND TWO L. PERUVIANUM ACCESSIONS WITH HEAT-STABLE NEMATODE RESISTANCE

Ten tomato cultigens were crossed with L . peruvianum accessions PI 126443 and PI 129152. Fruit (536 total) were harvested between 15 and 65 days after anthesis (DAA). Culturable embryos were obtained from 13% of the fruit. There were 140 embryos plated, from which 36 plants were obtained (7% of fruit, 26% of embryos plated). 'Campbell 28', Fla. 7217, and Fla. 7182 were the most efficient tomato lines for producing F 1 plants, there was no difference between the L . peruvianum accessions. No embryos were obtained beyond 57 DAA. No trend in embryo viability was detected between 15 and 56 DAA. Of 248 backcross fruit, 94 embryos were plated (38% of fruit) and 15 plants were obtained (6% of fruit, 16% of embryos plated). Female parents with the best percentage of plants per fruit crossed were Fla. 7217, Fla. 7215, and 'Campbell 28' with 15, 8, and 7%, respectively. No plants were obtained from 45 crosses on Fla. 7182.