Improvement in tissue culture-assisted induction of double haploidy in brinjal (Solanum melongena L.)

Brinjal is a popular vegetable crop in India and widely used in culinary, pickle and industrial purposes. The double haploid technique is used in vegetable crop improvement; thus, reducing lengthy conventional breeding timelines to develop new improved varieties. A study was conducted to develop a robust double haploid (DH) protocol in brinjal. Six genotypes and six media combinations were tested. Two media types showed DH production in brinjal ranging from 0.34-9.27 %. Consequently, MSB-6 is recommended media for brinjal DH in light of the obtained results. Similarly, five out of six genotypes showed DH responsiveness. The genotype-wise responsiveness to anther culture ranged from 2.29 7.40 %. DH technique complements the plant breeder’s effort to bring new varieties in the shortest time. Therefore, the relevance of improvement in tissue culture assisted double haploidy and continuous improvement of available protocols remains relevant even after six decades of its original discovery.