A major bottleneck in DH technology is the doubling of the haploid genomes. This step not only requires the handling of highly toxic chemicals, but also greenhouses for germinating and growing the haploid seedlings as well as equipment for transplanting after treatment are needed.
Chemical chromosome doubling is only partially effective. While most haploids are able to restore their female fertility, usually the restricting factor for successful pollinations is poor male fertility.
At the DHF we screened a larger panel of ex PVP and public available inbred lines for their ability to spontaneously restore their male fertility. We were able to identify germplasm with a high spontaneous haploid genome doubling ability. SHGD is a heritable trait, with incomplete penetrance. A major QTL for the trait could be identified, thus allowing the rapid introgression of SHGD into breeding lines using marker-assisted backcrossing.
The presence of SHGD in a breeding pool allows to directly seed haploid populations without any chemical treatment. Success rates comparable to chemical treated haploids without the trait are achievable.
Donor lines and SHGD associated markers are available for licensing (ISURF #04549).
For further information on licensing please contact:
Yongsheng Chen
Commercialization Manager, Ag Technologies
(515) 294-5614
ychen1@iastate.edu