Chromosome fusions in prophase I of meiosis were observed in the haploids, aneuploid and dihaploid of the anther culture-derived R0 plants (first generation) (Ting, Maydica, 1985). In order to know more about this phenomenon, meiotic studies were carried out on the R1 and R2 plants of King Huang-13. All of these plants were dihaploids. It was interesting to find that chromosome fusions during the first meiotic prophase were not unlike what were reported previously. For certain sporocytes, the 10 bivalents were fused into a big chromatin mass. For the others, the 10 bivalents might form 3 or 4 separate groups. Identification of the individual bivalents in any of the groups was impossible. It was certain, however, that no multiple translocations were involved. At harvest, seedsets of all the above plants studied were close to 100%. Hence, it is reasonable to conclude that the fusions did not affect plant fertility.

Y.C. Ting and Stephen Schneider

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