Analysis of genetic components of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus ssp. oleifera ) regeneration ability under in vitro culture

This paper presents the study on the genetic components of regeneration ability of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus ssp. oleifera ) explants cultured in vitro. The general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) effects and the heritability in the broad and narrow sense were determined for four traits: the efficiency of shoot regeneration from hypocotyls, the number of regenerated shoots per single hypocotyl, the efficiency of shoot regeneration from cotyledons with a petiole, and the number of regenerated shoots per a single cotyledon with a petiole. For the study, explants originating from winter oilseed rape doubled haploid (DH) lines (W15, W69, W70, W78, and W131) and their F1 hybrids were used. Conducted analysis revealed that most of GCA effects were insignificant. None of the DH lines showed positive GCA effect, while lines W15 and W131 exhibited significant negative GCA effects for three of four analyzed traits. There were no significant SCA effects for any of the F1 hybrids. Calculated values of heritability in the broad and narrow sense were very low. The results obtained in the study confirmed that quantitative traits connected with plant regeneration under in vitro conditions are characterized by high variability. Although the results have widened knowledge of the genetic determinants of regeneration ability trait, further studies and observations are still required.