Unreduced Pollen in a Wild Tetraploid Relative of Sweetpotato

Abstract

Nonreduction of pollen mother ceils was observed in a wild tetraploid morning-g&y related to the sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L. Lam.). Techniques for identifying and determining the frequency of expression of the trait are straightforward. Previous strategies for transfer of germplasm from tetraploid (2n = 4x = 60) species to the hexaploid (2n = 6x = 90) sweetpotato involved crosses with diploids (2n = 2x = 30) to obtain triploids that then were doubled to 6x. Nonreduction of pollen mother cells probably represents the natural mechanism for raising 4x to 6x since pollination of 2x ovules with unreduced pollen (4x) should give rise to 6x progeny without need for somatic doubling. Plants carrying this trait should be useful as bridging types for introgressing genes from wild 4x species into sweetpotato. A wide range in nonreduction (up to, 74%) was recovered In progeny of controlled crosses among selected plants, but data were not sufficient to estimate gene action.