CYTOLOGICAL, MORPHOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR ANALYSES OF CONTROLLED PROGENIES FROM MEIOTIC MUTANTS OF ALFALFA PRODUCING UNREDUCED GAMETES

A program of sexual polyploidization was carried out in alfalfa using plants from wild diploid species that produced male or female unreduce d gametes, Sixteen progenies from 2x - 4x and 2x - 2x crosses were exa mined with a combination of morphological, cytological and molecular a nalyses. The chromosome counts revealed diploid, tetraploid and aneupl oid plants. Plants with B chromosomes were also detected. The leaf are a of the plants was a useful characteristic for distinguishing tetrapl oid from diploid plants obtained by unilateral or bilateral sexual pol yploidization, Leaf shape and leaf margin were not correlated with the ploidy levels. Plants with supernumerary chromosomes displayed obovat e or elliptic leaves which differed markedly from the range of forms t ypical of diploid and tetraploid alfalfa plants. RAPD markers were inv estigated in all progeny plants to determine maternal and paternal amp lification products. Three alfalfa-specific primers proved to be effec tive in revealing the hybrid origin of the plants. A combination of cy tological, morphological and molecular analyses is essential for a det ailed genetic characterization of progenies in programs of sexual poly ploidization.