Innovations in microspore embryogenesis in Indonesian hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and Brassica napus L.

Hot pepper (Capsicum annuumL.) is the most important vegetable inIndonesia, but the yield is low, and the breeding programs are confined to the conventional methods and not efficient. To improve the efficiency of the breeding programs by speeding up the production of homozygous lines, studies were aimed at the introduction of haploid technology, which includes the regeneration and the production of doubled haploid plants from gametes. This technique is well developed in the model speciesBrassica napusL. via microspore culture. The results of various investigations involving both applied and fundamental aspects on microspore embryogenesis are presented in this thesis. The main results of the applied part deal with the development of an efficient shed-microspore culture protocol for the production of doubled haploid plants in Indonesian hot pepper (C. annuum), and its implementation under the local conditions of Indonesia. With regard to the more fundamental part, we presented for the first time an entirely new developmental pathway of embryogenesis including suspensor formation in microspore culture ofB. napuscv. Topas that mimics zygotic embryogenesis from early stages of development onwards. These results will have significant impact for practical application in hot pepper breeding programs as well as for further fundamental research on unraveling of early plant embryogenesis