Proceedings of the XLVII Italian Society of Agricultural Genetics - SIGA Annual Congress

Verona, Italy - 24/27 September, 2003

ISBN 88-900622-4-X

Poster Abstract - 3.07

EMBRYO FORMATION FROM ANTHER CULTURES OF ANEMONE CORONARIA CULTIVARS

M. LAURA, G. SAFAVERDI, S. DOVERI, B. RUFFONI, A. ALLAVENA

Istituto Sperimentale per la Floricoltura, Corso degli Inglesi 508, 18038 Sanremo (Imperia)

androgenesis, genetic resources, ornamental crops, plant breeding

Anemone coronaria is a popular ornamental species grown in southern Europe for the production of cut flowers. The species has in addition an attitude for the production of flowered pot plants. At present, cultivars are plant populations obtained by hybridisation of heterozygous parents. Recent success in micropropagation of parent plants allowed the production of population with similar plant composition through the years, but uniformity among plants is still lacking. Two strategies were developed to produce pure lines and then uniform F1 hybrid: selfing and androgenesis.

Selfing is a long way strategy considering that in cultivation Anemone is, a biannual plant and at least one-year time is required for each generation (seed to seed). In addition, some difficulties were observed in seed setting after one selfing generation.

In this study is report a protocol for embryo formation from anther culture of Anemone coronaria cultivars. Anthers of Cristina, Monalisa, Tetranemone and Wicabri, with pollen grain at uninucleate stage, were cultured aseptically in Petri dishes containing a double layer medium (Johansson and Eriksson; Physiol. Plant. 1977, 40:172-174) used for embryo formation from several wild Anemone species. The medium was based on the composition of Nitsch and Nitsch (Science, 1969, 163:85-87) salts plus activated charcoal (1%) with or without indol acetic acid (IAA, 0,1 mg/l). MS (Murashige and Skoog; Physiol. Plant. 1962, 15:473-497) salts at half strength were also used in place of Nitsch and Nitsch medium. After twelve to fourteen weeks of culture, globular embryo-like structure developed from the inner anther tissues. Embryo-like structure rapidly developed into small rhizomes that finally germinate into plantlets. This development seems to be similar to plantlet ontogenesis from zigotic seeds.

All the cultivars were able to regenerate plantlets on Nitsch and Nitsch medium, except White, Red and Fuchsia Wicabri. The highest frequency of globular embryo-like structures per 100 anthers occurred from cv. Cristina blue (11,3) on Nitsch and Nitsch medium without indol acetic acid. Very low or absence of regeneration was observed with cvs. White Cristina, Blue Wicabri, Purple Monalisa and White Tetranemone on medium without IAA and with cvs. Red Monalisa, Blue Monalisa, Purple Monalisa and Blue Tetranemone on medium with IAA. Embryo-like structure formation from anthers was also observed in MS salt at half strength.

Further studies are in progress to verify if these plantlets take origin from pollen grain and then have haploid or double haploid chromosome number.