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 formingF1 hybrid plants of a crop which is capable of undergoing cross-pollinationwhile utilizing self-incompatibility. A substantially randomly mixedpopulation of parent plants is utilized that are substantially incapable ofundergoing self-pollination under conventional growing conditions wherein theinability to undergo self-pollination is attributable in each of the parentplants to at least one heterozygous dominant genetic determinant forsporophytic self-incompatibility that is different in each parent. All plantsare capable of serving (1) as seed parents which following cross-pollinationwith pollen from the other parent plants bear seeds capable of forming F1hybrid plants of a predetermined cultivar, and (2) as pollen parents for otherparent plants. The non-selective simultaneous harvest by conventional meansfrom both parent plants of seed capable of forming a single predeterminedcultivar of F1 hybrid plant is made possible. The resulting product exhibitsheterosis that makes possible increased yields for the grower. In aparticularly preferred embodiment the crop is canola-quality Brassica napus.