CONSTRUCTION OF INTERGENERIC SOMATIC HYBRIDS BETWEEN BRASSICA-OLERACEA AND ARMORACIA-RUSTICANA

Somatic hybridization of Brassica oleracea (cauliflower, cabbage, kohl rabi) and Armoracia rusticana (horseradish) protoplasts was performed to test the possibility of the formation of intergeneric hybrids. Out of three B. oleracea crops tested only cauliflower (B. oleracea var. b otrytis) yielded viable hybrids when fused with horseradish protoplast s, Regenerated plants were asymmetric hybrids as revealed by morpholog ical, karyological, and DNA analysis, In these plants, extensive elimi nation of A. rusticana genome occurred during subsequent cultivation. Using a chloroplast DNA probe no A. rusticana-specific hybridization s ignals were detected thus indicating a rapid elimination of horseradis h cytoplasmic (chloroplast) components.