Production of Doubled Haploid Onions (Allium cepa) and Evaluation of Their Field Performance

摘要

Doubled haploid lines in onion (Allium cepa) are homozygous for all loci and can be used as valuable materials for inheritance studies of complex traits and pure line production for F_1 hybrid breeding. In this study, doubled haploid lines and their F_1 hybrids were produced and their field performance was compared with commercial open-pollinated cultivars. Six doubled haploid lines were produced from haploid culture. Four F_1 hybrids were produced by crossing doubled haploid lines with sterile breeding lines. Doubled haploid lines, F_1 hybrids, and five commercial open-pollinated cultivars were grown at two locations. After harvesting the bulbs, equatorial diameter, polar diameter, shape index, weight, soluble solid content, and pungency were measured. Doubled haploid lines and F_1 hybrids generally showed higher uniformity as compared with commercial cultivars for all traits. Hybrid vigor, a good response to favorable growing conditions, and high stability were observed in F_1 hybrids. Overall, it was demonstrated that doubled haploid lines were more uniform than open-pollinated cultivars and could be utilized as parental lines for F_1 hybrid production with high uniformity.