Effect of selected factors on the effectiveness of Capsicum annuum L. anther culture.

The primary aim of the study was to establish the effectiveness of induced androgenesis in in vitro anther culture of two pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) breeding lines--ATZ1 and PO, and a hybrid between these two lines (ATZ1 x PO)F1. Anther culture was maintained according to the method developed by Dumas de Vaulx et al. (1981) with some modifications. The experiment revealed that the effectiveness of androgenesis ranged from 4 %; for the ATZ1 line to 1.5 %; for the (ATZ1 x PO)F1 and strongly depended on the developmental stage of flower buds, as well as the conditions for anther culture maintenance. The development of androgenic embryos was successfully induced only in anthers which originated from the flower buds with petals equal or slightly longer than sepals and there was a clear relationship between the length of the period of anther induction on CP medium and the level of kinetin in R1 regeneration medium.