Somatic hybridization and microspore culture in Brassica improvement

Abstract

Brassica species have an economic and medicinal importance. Somatic hybridization is a widely used technology for the transfer of nuclear and cytoplasmic traits in Brassica species. Many wild Brassica species have important agronomic traits, especially those for disease resistance, that could be transferred into the cultivated brassicas. Somatic hybridization enhanced the development of interspecific and intergeneric hybrids in the sexually incompatible Brassica species. Additionally, the microspore culture is one of the most effective technologies used for developing microspore-derived embryos and double haploid plants. The formation of haploids and doubled haploids using microspores enhanced the generation of homozygous genotypes in Brassica species. This technology played an important role in breeding self-incompatible and out-crossing genotypes. This chapter discusses the advanced applications of somatic hybridization and microspore culture in Brassica improvement over the past years.