Meiotic analysis of the hybrids between cultivated and synthetic tetraploid groundnuts

Groundnut is susceptible to a range of diseases and pests owing to its narrow genetic base. Closely related wild relatives of groundnut are diploid, and crossability between diploid wild relatives and tetraploid cultivated groundnut is difficult. Amphidiploid and autotetraploid groundnuts, which are tetraploids (also called synthetic groundnut), were developed at ICRISAT. Crossability between cultivated tetraploid groundnut and synthetic tetraploid groundnut was a straightforward process. Crosses between cultivated and synthetic tetraploid groundnuts yielded mature seeds. The resultant F1 hybrids were cytologically analysed to study the relationship between the chromosomes/genomes of the parents i.e. between Arachis hypogaea cultivars and synthetic tetraploid groundnut. Meiotic study showed that there was good chromosome pairing between the parental species resulting in high pollen fertility. Thus, development of synthetic groundnut is a feasible way of utilizing important wild species gene pool of Arachis, closely related to cultivated groundnut, for the improvement to the