Generation and characterization of doubled haploid plants in maize

Doubled Haploid (DH) technology has revolutionized the maize hybrid production by developing homozygous inbred lines in 2–3 years which are otherwise produced in 7–8 years using conventional breeding methods. In the present study, Tropically Adapted Inducer Lines (TAIL) hybrid and four maize inbred lines (CM140, LM16, CM123 and I122) were used as target material for haploid production. F₁ seeds were obtained from the parental crosses and the Haploid Induction Rate (HIR) obtained from the cross between F₁ and inducer line ranges from zero to 9.72 per cent. Haploid seeds were germinated in petri-plates with germination percentage ranging from 89.54 to 93.37 per cent. The germinated seeds were then treated with colchicine solution @0.04% for 12 hours to generate Double Haploid (DH) plants. The survival percentage of the DH plants in the field was 23.37 per cent. The morphological observations of the treated plants conferred only one doubled haploid plant. the doubled haploid plant was confirmed by using cytology and flow cytometry.