Recent advances and application of doubled haploids in wheat breeding

Abstract

Genetic improvement to develop varieties with high yield potential and resistance/tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses with acceptable end use qualities is the most viable and environment friendly option to increase wheat yield in a sustainable fashion. In vitro haploid production followed by chromosome doubling greatly enhances the production of complete homozygous wheat lines in a single generation and increases the precision and efficiency of selection process in wheat breeding. It also enables the detection of linkage and gene interactions, estimate genetic variance and the number of genes for quantitative characteristics, produce genetic translocations, substitutions and chromosome addition lines, and facilitate genetic transformation and mutation studies. Wheat cultivars developed from doubled haploids using anther-culture and maize induction systems have been released for cultivation in both developed and developing countries. In this review, the origin and production of haploids, techniques in anther-culture and wheat x maize wide crosses, and their application in wheat breeding are summarized.