The effect of shaker use on embryo yield of shed-microspore cultures in ornamental pepper

In recent years, due to their morphological diversity, ornamental peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) has become a favored plant in ornamental plant sector as seasonal flowers and bedding plant in parks and gardens, as arrangement branch use in cut flower sectors and as pot plants in indoor ornamental plant usage. In addition to their ornamental value, ornamental peppers are utilized in food, cosmetics and medicinal sectors because of their various active substances. However in literature, there are limited numbers of breeding studies for ornamental peppers based on haploid technology. In this study which is carried out within the scope of TUBITAK-TEYDEB-1505 type project (no 5120019), the effect of using shaker on embryo yield was determined in the shed-microspore cultures of a total of 29 ornamental pepper genotypes derived from different commercial and domestic origins. For this purpose, firstly the bud morphologies of ornamental peppers were identified. The morphological findings were supported with the cytological studies using DAPI staining to confirm the bud morphologies having the microspores in proper stages. After pretreatment of proper buds at +4oC for one day in dark conditions, the anthers were cultured in shed-microspore culture media with two phase. Later, the cultures were incubated at 9oC for one week in dark conditions and after that the cultures were divided equally as shaker and control groups and transferred to 28oC for 3 weeks and then the treatment groups were incubated at 21oC for 3-5 weeks in dark conditions. The numbers of total embryos, globular embryos, embryos extending cotyledons, dicotyledonous normal looking embryos and embryos transferred to germination medium were recorded. According to variance analysis of total embryos and dicotyledonous normal looking embryos obtained from cultures of control and shaker groups, it was revealed that there is no significant difference between the applications, however the genotypes are found to be significantly different from each other. It was determined that the cultures on shakers gave more successful androgenic performance in regard of forming total and globular embryos. The most successful embriyogenic performance was obtained from genotype 754 and the cultures of genotype 754 on shaker formed about 4.5 times more average total embryos when compared to its control group.