Inheritance of trichome density in Ethiopian mustard leaves

A pubescent mutant of Ethiopian mustard ( Brassica carinata A. Braun), N2-9 531, was developed from the glabrous line C-101. The objective of this rese arch was to study the inheritance of trichome density in this mutant. Plant s of N2-9531 and C-101 were reciprocally crossed and F-1, F-2, and BC1F1 ge nerations were analysed for trichome density. The average trichome density differed in the reciprocal F-1 and F-2 generations, indicating partial cyto plasmic effects. The trichome density of F-1 plants was lower than the midp arent value, revealing a partial dominance of absence over high trichome de nsity. Segregation in the F-2 and BC1F1 generations approximated 1:4:6:4:1 and 1:2:1 ratios, respectively indicating that two independent loci ( H-1 a nd H-2) acting in an additive manner contributed equally to the expression of trichome density. The proposed genotypes were h(1)h(1)h(2)h(2) for N2-95 31 and H1H1H2H2 for C-101. The simple inheritance of this trait should faci litate the transfer of leaf pubescence to other Ethiopian mustard lines.