Abstract

Five male sterile AxB combinations involving alternate B lines (81A x 3383B, 81A x pb 305 B, 3383A x 81B, pb 302A x pb 305B, pb 403A x pb 405B) were chosen and nine altered A lines were developed by transferring the genome of alternate B lines at 50 per cent and 75 per cent levels. Studies on the altered A lines indicated the possibility of altering the morphological expression of a A line by changing B lines. The differences between the original A lines and altered A lines were found to be significant. This may be due to the interaction of the genome of the alternate B line with the genome of original A line. For example, the altered A lines of 81A flowered earlier than the original A line and the difference was significant (81A x 3383B). The choice of appropriate b lines for altering A lines appeared to be very important: Transfer of genome from one B line to another A line at 50 per cent level appeared to be effective in improving the morphological expression and thus F1 sterile lines could be profitably utilised in developing three-way crosses.

Keywords: Altered A lines, 50 and 75 per cent Transferred genome, F1 male sterile line