CHESTNUT HILL, MASSACHUSETTS

Boston College

Continued studies on mutable inbred derived from anther culture --Ting, YC, Tran, L In the last summer continued studies on the mutable inbred derived from anther culture of maize KH-13 were carried out. This inbred was a descendant from a single self-fertilized plant which was dark green in plant color and normal in fertility for both male and female flowers. A total of 120 kernels was sown in the field and from them 102 plants grew into adult stage. However, it was observed that when the plants were about two-months old, approximately 10 percent, nine plants, appeared slow in growth and short in height. About two weeks later, these short plants became dwarf yellow-green. Apparently their leaf chlorophylls were deficient. All except one, of these plants had barren stalk and sterile male inflorescence. The exceptional plant developed a small ear and a limited amount of pollen. Upon self-pollination, seven defective kernels were obtained. A test on their viability will be made in the next season. As was stated above, nine of 102 plants were phenotypically dwarf yellow-green. According to the Mendelian segregation principle, this was unexpected. It does not fit the expected segregation ratio of either monohybrids or dihybrids. Hence, a hypothesis was once again proposed that the unconventional segregation ratio was evidence of the presence of an Ac element in the parental plant. This element was activated through anther culture per se.

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