30Chapter Production of Haploid Tobacco and Potato Plants Using Anther Culture

For many years, few haploids were available to geneticists and breeders. This situation began to change in the 1960s with the discovery that haploids of Datura species and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) could be produced by culturing anthers. In no other species has anther culture been more successful than tobacco, where large numbers of haploids can be obtained from many different genotypes. Because it is so easy to obtain tobacco and potato haploids, they are the ideal species to demonstrate and learn anther culture methodology.