IMPROVED PROCESS FOR PRODUCING SEEDS CAPABLE OF FORMING F1 HYBRID PLANTS UTILIZING SELF-INCOMPATIBILITY

摘要

An improved route is provided for the production of seeds capable of forming F1 hybrid plants of a crop which is capable of undergoing cross-pollination while utilizing self-incompatibility. A substantially randomly mixed population of parent plants is utilized that are substantially incapable of undergoing self-pollination under conventional growing conditions wherein the inability to undergo self-pollination is attributable in each of the parent plants to at least one heterozygous dominant genetic determinant for sporophytic self-incompatibility that is different in each parent. All plants are capable of serving (1) as seed parents which following cross-pollination with pollen from the other parent plants bear seeds capable of forming F1 hybrid plants of a predetermined cultivar, and (2) as pollen parents for other parent plants. The non-selective simultaneous harvest by conventional means from both parent plants of seed capable of forming a single predetermined cultivar of F1 hybrid plant is made possible. The resulting product exhibits heterosis that makes possible increased yields for the grower. In a particularly preferred embodiment the crop is canola-quality Brassica napus.