Evaluation of the Polycross Mating Technique in Producing Musa Seed to Accelerate and Decentralize Breeding
Authors
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WILSON Victoria
Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
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TENKOUANO Abdou
Executive Director of CORAF /West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development, Dakar Senega
Abstract
This study was conducted at the International Institute of Tropical rnAgriculture, High Rainfall Station, Onne, Rivers State, Nigeria. The rnobjective was to produce viable triploid Musa seeds that can be easily rndistributed to researchers and farmers to accelerate and decentralize rnMusa breeding in developing economies using the polycross mating rntechnique. Four 4x females, TMP4x 1658-4, TMP4x 7152-2, TMP4x rn2796-5 and TMP4x 5511-2, a diploid male plantain TMP2x 2829-62 rnand 2 diploid male bananas TMB2x 5105-1 and SH 3362 were rncultivated in two polycross blocks of 4x - 2x to yield the desired 3x rnseeds. The RCB experimental design was replicated twice. Data, rncomprising total number of bunches and seeds obtained in 3 crop rncycles, were analyzed by ANOVA at P = 0.05 and means assessed rnusing LSD at P = 0.05. Ploidy status of the offspring was determined by rnfrn low cytometry. Cumulatively and significantly, TMP4x 2796-5 rnyielded the highest number of seeds, followed by TMP4x 1658-4 with rnTMP4X 7152-2 yielding the least. Ratoon crop 1 produced the highest rnnumber of seeds, followed by the plant crop. Ratoon crop 2 had the rnfewest seeds but all its offspring were triploids. Overall, of the 5,795 rnwell-formed seeds, 4,997 (86%) were triploids. This study showed the rnvaluable contribution in the use of a 4x – 2x polycross mating rntechnique for producing viable 3x seeds in Musa. Seed production rnschemes should be established in Musa producing countries using this rnmating technique to distribute Musa seeds to researchers and farmers rnto accelerate and decentralize breeding.
Keywords: Accelerating and Decentralizing Musa Breeding, Polycross Mating Technique; Ploidy Status; Tetraploids; Triploids; Diploids