Publications - Faculty - Recently Submitted Faculty Publications 2008
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Grosser - Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science
Somatic hybridization of mandarin types with pre-selected CTV tolerant/resistant pummelo seedlings; hybrid verification by EST-SSR marker analysis.
J. W. Grosser, C. Chen, M. Calovic, P. Serrano, G. Pasquali, J. Gmitter and F. G. Gmitter, Jr.
Abstract. As part of our continuing efforts to develop CTV-induced quick decline resistant replacement rootstocks for sour orange (Citrus aurantium L.), that also have potential for tree size control, allotetraploid somatic hybrid plants were regenerated from nineteen new mandarin + pummelo combinations following protoplast fusion. Pummelo (C. grandis L. Osbeck) seedlings used as leaf parents were pre-selected for soil adaptation, Phytophthora resistance and resistance to CTV-induced quick decline disease. Mandarin type embryogenic suspension culture parents including Amblycarpa (C. amblycarpa Ochse) and ‘Changsha’ (C. reticulata Blanco) mandarins, ‘Murcott’ and ‘W. Murcott’ tangors (C. reticulata Blanco x C. sinensis L. Osbeck), and ‘Page’ tangelo (C. reticulata Blanco x C. paradisi Macf.) were chosen on the basis of performance in our protoplast culture system, general rootstock performance, wide soil adaptation, and cold-hardiness. The allotetraploid nature of the regenerated somatic hybrid plants was confirmed by flow cytometry for ploidy determination and for the first time SSR marker analysis to show allelic contributions from both parents in corresponding somatic hybrids. Unexpectedly, this powerful technique also revealed that the ‘Page’ tangelo embryogenic suspension line was probably of zygotic origin. These new somatic hybrids are being propagated by tissue culture and/or rooted cuttings for further evaluation of disease resistance, horticultural performance in field trials, and amenability to traditional propagation via nucellar seed production.
