| Intergeneric hybrids between two Eremopyrum
and Agropyron species SADAO SAKAMOTO National Institute of Genetic, Misima, Japan The following three intergeneric pentaploid hybrids were produced in 1964: (1) Er. buonapartis (SPRENG.) NEVSKI var. buonapartis (2n=28; Iran) x Ag. tsukushiense (HONDA) OHWI (2n=42; Japan), (2) Er. buonapartis var. sublanuginosum (DROB.) MELDERIS (2n=28; Afghanistan) x Ag. tsukushiense and (3) Er. orientale (LINN.) TAUB. et SPACH. (2n=28; Iran) x Ag. tsukushiense. All F1 plants were perennial, and the shape of their spikes and spikelets was of Agropyron type. Complete pollen sterility was observed in all hybrid combinations. Choromosome pairing at MI of PMC's of the F1 is shown in Table 1. Average chromosome pairing per cell was in (1) 0.0III+0.7II+33.6I, in (2) 0.8II+33.5I and in (3) 0.9II +34.0I. Bivalents and trivalents were all loosely associated the partners connected only terminally. It was concluded that there is no genomic homology between the two Eremopyrum species and Ag. tsukushiense. Fifteen backcrossed plants were obtained when Ag. tsukushiense was crossed as male parent to the third hybrid, Er. orientale x Ag. tsukushiense. To its tillering clones colchicine solution was applied and two well-developed seeds were obtained in 1965. |