HAPLOIDS FROM CULTIVATED ALFALFA MEDICAGO SATIVA L

HAPLOIDS are valuable for new approaches to genetic, cytogenetic and breeding research in plants such as cultivated alfalfa, Medicago sativa L., which behave as auto-tetraploids. Their use is limited in this species, however, by the lack of a technique for their isolation; only three haploids have been reported1-3. Recently, we isolated eight haploids (2n Combining double low line 2x Combining double low line 16) from cultivated alfalfa (2n Combining double low line 4x Combining double low line 32) among the progeny of 4x-2x crosses, designed to facilitate the detection of haploids. Thus 4x-2x crosses provide a simple and effective method of obtaining alfalfa haploids. © 1969 Nature Publishing Group.