THEORY AND PRACTICE OF INDUCED ANDROGENESIS

Abstract

The recently discovered technique of producing haploid plants from the culture of immature anthers of flowering plants (androgenesis) is potentially of great significance in plant breeding and genetics. Although rare haploid plants have been obtained by this method in a variety of species thus demonstrating the wide applicability of the technique, the method so far has been successful for only a very few species in producing a large number of haploid plants with ease and certainly. New variations of the technique involving, in general, modifications in the nutrient media and other environmental factors of anther culture, are being tried in different laboratories. Here, some of the theoretical aspects of anther culture are discussed with a view to contributing towards a better understanding of the phenomenon, and thus possibly to help in expediting practical androgenesis. Copyright © 1973, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved