Isolation of low erucic acid-containing genotype of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea Czern. and Coss.) through F1 hybrid anther culture

Reciprocal crosses were done between two cultivars; cv. RJ15 and cv. RLM198 of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea). Anther derived lines designated as A1 plants, were raised through anther culture fromthese F1 hybrid plants. 45% germination was obtained from distinctly shriveled and small A1 seeds and grown along with the F2 plants in the same agro-climatic conditions. Subsequently the lines werecompared for inheritance pattern between the lines. A normal frequency distribution curve for siliqua per plant was obtained in all the lines reflecting a similar pattern of recombination. Few seeds from theplants of each lines exhibiting high number of siliqua per plant, were isolated for analysis of erucic acid. Three plants in which erucic acid content was lower than the parent cultivars of A2 generationwere identified. This showed that contrasting characters could be obtained from A2 plants where the traits are oligo or monogenic through anther culture