Abstract

DNA elimination in embryogenic development of Pennisetum glaucum x Pennisetum purpureum (Poaceae) hybrids

Author(s): J.D. Nunes1, A.L.S. Azevedo1, A.V. Pereira1, C.M.P. Paula2, J.M.S. Campos3, F.J.S. L�©do1 and V.B. Santos4

Interspecific hybridization between Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum), which is widely grown in Brazil for cattle forage, and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) has been used as a breeding strategy for the development of improved cultivars. However, the hybrid between these two species is sterile due to its triploid condition (2n = 3x = 21 chromosomes), which hinders its use in crop breeding programs. It is known that genomic alterations result from the hybridization process.

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