Genic instability of a maize inbred line derived from anther culture
--Ting, YC and Nguyen, DQ

Last summer plants of a maize inbred line derived from repeated selfings of a microspore plant of KH-13 were grown in the field. During the last few years, genic stability of this inbred was rated as high. However, in the middle of last June, a month after the emergence of seedlings, some of them appeared yellow-green in leaf color, followed by slow growth of the plants. Two months later, it was apparent that plants of this inbred line could be classified into two distinct groups. In other words, they demonstrated segregation. As the plants were counted, it was clear that among a total of 72 plants, 11 of them were dwarf and yellow green. On the other hand, the sib plants of this inbred line grew to normal height, and the color of plants was dark green. When the plants attained tasselling stage, it was observed that the dwarf, yellow green plants were completely male sterile. No ear shoots were developed either. Hence, it was impossible to make any progeny tests. Nevertheless, this observation does constitute a further evidence that anther culture derived plants may not be genically stable. In contrast, in the same field, plants of five other maize inbred lines were also grown. One of them was a descendant of an anther culture developed microspore-plant. In a total of approximately 500 plants, no segregation of any characteristics was found. 

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