Principles of Plant Breeding (2+1)

Genetic male sterility

• Male sterility in this case depends upon a single nuclear gene. The male sterile condition is ordinarily recessive and the sterile stock is maintained by crossing male sterile plants heterozygous plants, in which case half of the population is sterile and half are fertile plants. Fertile plants are rogued as soon they identified early by a closely linked gene as in lima beans the task producing hybrid seed is comparatively simple. The flower must be examined carefully to identify the male sterile plants.