ABSTRACT
The ability to produce haploid plants is a tremendous asset in genetic and plant breeding studies. Heritability studies are simplified because, with only one set of chromosomes, recessive mutations are easily identified. In addition, doubling the chromosome number of a haploid to produce a doubled haploid results in a completely homozygous plant. Theoretically, the genotypes present among a large group of doubled haploids derived from an F
hybrid represent in a fixed form the genotypes expected from an F
population. Use of doubled haploids in breeding programs can thus greatly reduce the time required for development of improved cultivars. To be most useful, a large number of haploids from many different genotypes are required.
