Development of Protoplast Culture Procedures in Brassica Crops Suitable for in Vitro Selection Herbicide Resistance Mutants and Cybrids

Abstract

The present report is related to our project on improvement of resistance to a triazine herbicide, atrazine, in B. napus, B. oleracea and B. campestris. Previous reports on selection for herbicide resistance involve the use of partially photosynthetic cultures (Cseplo et al., 1985). Sensitive cells bleach in the presence of atrazine whilst resistant biotypes do not. It should be possible to use the same selection system to detect resistant p-calli after fusion of protoplasts of atrazine resistant rape with susceptible cultivars. The current report describes the development of an efficient protoplast culture and regeneration system for Brassica species, including bright green p-calli, in which it should be possible to obtain the primary symptom of atrazine sensitivity (bleaching) and therefore to select resistant lines.