Utilization of Natural Haploid Inducer, UH400, for Hybrid Maize Breeding

Abstract

     Adaptability and haploid inducing ability of UH400 were evaluated in 4 cropping seasons during 2014 and 2015 at Gialam, Hanoi, Vietnam. Twenty yellow dent maize hybrids were crossed with UH400 and the F1 seeds were evaluated for haploid induction rate using anthocyanin color marker. Ploidy doubling was done by colchicine treatment at 0.06% for 8 hours to develop double haploid (DH) lines. DH lines were evaluated for growth and yield in 2015 spring cropping season and ploidy level determined in spring 2016. The studies showed that UH400 can be grown in fall-winter and spring cropping seasons in the North of Vietnam, while seed multiplication and line maintenance be done in spring. UH400 can be used for haploid induction on yellow dent maize hybrids with induction rate of 7.05%. DH lines developed in this study had poor survival rate (14.4%). The use of SSR marker phi065 to identify haploid seeds from six crosses with UH400 showed that five crosses (M8, M12, M19, M21 and M22 crossed to UH400) are haploid.