RAPID ESTIMATION OF PLOIDY LEVELS IN INVITRO-REGENERATED INTERSPECIFIC ARACHIS HYBRIDS AND FERTILE TRIPLOIDS

A significant correlation among chromosome number, chloroplast number and pollen grain size was observed using interspecific hybrids (2n = 30, 60), Arachis hypogaea (2n = 40), A. stenosperma (PI 338280) (2n = 20), A. batizocoi (PI 468329) (2n = 20) and A. villosulicarpa Hoehne (PI 336984) (2n = 20), representing four ploidy groups. Both chloroplast number in guard cells and pollen grain size were found to be positively correlated with ploidy, and provided a reliable method to distinguish diploid, triploid, tetraploid and hexaploid plants from each other regardless of their taxonomic backgrounds. These methods in combination with root-tip chromosome counts enabled us to confirm ploidy determinations on all three tissue layers, L1, L2 and L3 (guard cells, microsporocytes and root meristematic cells, respectively), and to detect the chimeric nature of some colchicine-treated tissue culture-derived plants. Screening pollen grains by size and the detection of highly stainable and viable, 30-chromosome pollen grains have enhanced the use of triploid hybrids in peanut breeding programs.