Introgression of Solarium acaule germ plasm from the endosperm balance number 2 gene pool into the cultivated endosperm balance number 4 potato gene pool via triplandroids

Triploid plants from interspecific crosses between selected clones of Solanum acaule and a 2n pollen producing, cultivated diploid expressed an average of 7.7% to 2n pollen, called triplandroids. Percent stainable pollen of these triploids ranged from 1.8 to 22.1%. The cytological mechanism of 2n pollen formation was parallel orientation of spindles in the second division of meiosis. Three triplandroid-producing triploids were crossed to several tetraploid potato cultivars and breeding clones. Of these 4x−3x pollinations, 49% produced berries, containing an average of 15.2 seeds. Progeny from 4x−3x crosses were 67% pentaploid, 2n = 60, and 33% aneuploids 2n = 56–59, mostly 2n = 59. Thus, functional microspores from triploids were predominantly triplandroids, 2n = 3x = 36, with low frequencies of aneuploidy. This use of a triplandroid bridge is a rapid means of introducing S. acaule germ plasm to the cultivated tetraploid gene pool.Key words: interspecific hybrids, parallel spindles, pollen restitution, triploidy, 2n pollen.