New Frontiers in Chromosome Elimination- Mediated DH Breeding

Chromosome elimination – a dynamic process occurring during distant hybridization in wheats (tetraploids and hexaploids) when crossed with various Gramineae genera, has opened new horizon in accelerating the genetic upgradation endeavours in wheat with enhanced precision and efficiency.  Since the invention of bulbosum technique, some other potential systems leading to the chromosome elimination viz., wheat x Zea mays and wheat x Imperata cylindrica have further enhanced the opportunities to obtain larger number of doubled haploids in wheat.  I. cylindrica- mediated approach developed by our group in this Lab has emerged as an efficient alternative to the Z. mays – mediated system in terms of natural coincidence for flowering with wheat, abundant pollen supply for longer span and developing significantly higher frequency of doubled haploids from winter and spring wheat ecotypes and even good performance from the triticale x wheat  and wheat x rye derivatives, where Z.mays- mediated system remained unsuccessful. The I. cylindrica- mediated chromosome elimination approach has further been refined in this Lab by developing certain new and efficient protocols so as to further enhance the efficiency of this system to develop very high frequency of doubled haploids in bread wheat. The new system of chromosome elimination has opened unique opportunities to shorten the breeding cycle, accelerate the varietal development programmes and generate gene mapping populations instantly in wheat. This system is being used in combination with GISH & FISH tools of molecular cytogenetic approach in this Lab for introgression of Himalayan rye genes in bread wheat genome in accelerated and precised manner.