Fertility restoration in cytoplasmic-nuclear male-sterile lines derived from 3 wild relatives of pigeonpea

Abstract

Three cytoplasmic-nuclear male-sterile (CMS) lines, one each derived from Cajanus sericeus (A1 cytoplasm), Cajanus scarabaeoides (A2 cytoplasm), and Cajanus cajanifolius (A4 cytoplasm), were crossed to 7 pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) cultivars in a line × tester mating scheme to study the fertility restoration of the CMS lines. Twenty-one F1 hybrid combinations were planted in unreplicated 3-row plots in 3 environments. There was no effect of environments on the expression of fertility restoration. Pigeonpea cultivar ICPL 129-3 restored fertility in A1 cytoplasm and maintained male sterility in the other 2 (A2 and A 4) cytoplasms. Among crosses involving CMS line (of A4 cytoplasm) ICPA 2039 one hybrid combination was male-sterile and another male fertile. The remaining 5 combinations segregated for male-fertility (66-84% fertility restoration). Such testers can easily be purified for use in hybrid breeding programs by selfing and single-plant selection for 2-3 generations. © The American Genetic Association. 2008. All rights reserved.