Breeding for seedless grapes using Chinese wild Vitis spp. II. In vitro embryo rescue and plant development.
BACKGROUND
Since 1982, the embryo rescue technique has been widely applied to embryo germination of stenospermic grapes in cross-breeding programmes. This project aimed to: (1) use embryos to breed new seedless cultivars of Vitis vinifera as the female parents utilising wild Chinese Vitis spp. as the male parents; and (2) develop an efficient method for in vitro embryo rescue and plant development.


RESULTS
Among the different genotypes, the productions of hybrid plants were significantly different, ranged from 21.1% ('Ruby Seedless' × 'Beichun') to only 1.1% ('Pink Seedless' × 'Beichun'), except for the combinations from which no surviving seedlings were obtained. We collected hybridisation fruits from 28 June to 3 August, and obtained their best sampling times described within days after flowering. The highest rates of embryo formation (24.3%) and plant development (91.4%) were found when ovules of 'Ruby Seedless' were cultured in MM4 + 500 mg L(-1) mashed banana.


CONCLUSIONS
Seven new hybrids of V. vinifera with wild Chinese Vitis spp. were obtained. As a result of early nuclear-free character identification, 17 seedless grape lines were obtained. An efficient system of seedless grape breeding through embryo rescue was also established.
College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, P.R. China; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology and Germplasm Innovation in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, P.R. China; State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, P.R. China.
Wei
W
Ji
Yuejin
Y
Wang
D001947:Breeding; D003470:Culture Media; D005638:Fruit; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D006824:Hybridization, Genetic; D028521:Musa; D063245:Plant Development; D036226:Seedlings / Q000254:growth & development; D012639:Seeds / Q000254:growth & development*; D027843:Vitis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development
D003470:Culture Media
disease resistance; embryo rescue; grapevine; seedless grapes; stenospermocarpy