Cytoembryological evaluation, meiotic behavior and pollen viability of Paspalum notatum tetraploidized plants

Abstract

This study evaluated the mode of reproduction, the meiotic behavior and the pollen viability of three tetraploid plants (2n=4x=40) originated from somatic chromosome duplication of Paspalum notatum plants. The plant WKS 3 changed the mode of reproduction after duplication and became apomictic. The plants WKS 63 and WKS 92 confirmed sexual mode of reproduction identical to that of the original genotype. The analyzed plants presented meiotic abnormalities related to tetraploidy, and the chromosome pairing were variable, but it did not hinder the meiotic products, which were characterized by regular tetrads and satisfactory pollen fertility, ranging from 88.7 to 95.7%. Results show that all plants are meiotically stable and that they can be used in intraspecific crosses in the breeding program of Paspalum notatum.

Key words:
Chromosome duplication; cytogenetic analysis; genetic breeding; intraspecific crosses