Effects of antimitotic agents on haploid plant production from unpollinated ovules of sugar beet (beta vulgaris l.)

The effects of antimicrotubule agents on haploid embryo formation from unpollinated ovules of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) were investigated. The antimitotic agent colchicine (at 100 and 150 mg/l) and trifluralin (at 5.0 mg/l) increased the frequency of haploid embryo formation whereas pronamide (at 76.9 and 128.2 mg/l) and trifluralin (at 3.4 mg/l) decreased. Ovules that were non-treated with antimicrotuble agents (i.e., ovules of the control treatment) produced higher percentages of haploid embryos (4.25%) when compared to the pronamide and trifluralin at 3.4 mg/l concentration. Toxic effects of these agents on embryo formation from ovules were evident. A significant genotypic variation among the lines used was observed. The line M4 produced the highest yield with a mean of 14.71% haploid embryo production while the line M2 producing no embryos at all.