Characterization of diploid Arachis interspecific hybrids for pest resistance

ABSTRACT In Brazil, the thrips (Enneothrips flavens Moulton) and rednecked peanutworm (Stegasta bosquella Chambers) are considered key pests for the peanut crop. Wild species show resistance to both of these pests, and can be used in breeding programs. The production of the sterile interspecific hybrids is necessary, which could be colchicine treated to get a synthetic amphidiploid with the same or similar genomic configuration of cultivated peanut. In this context, this study proposed the hybridization of wild pest-resistant species in 18 distinct combinations, obtaining the interspecific hybrids of Arachis and completing their characterization by (i) the reproductive characterization through pollen stainability with 2% acetocarmine (AC) solution with glycerin and 0.25% tetrazolium solution (TZ), (ii) the molecular certification of hybridization using microsatellite markers, and (iii) the morphological characterization using 61 morphological traits with Principal Component Analysis. Using reproductive, morphological and molecular characterizations, we identified six hybrid plants of the following crosses: three fromA. magna V 13751 × A. kuhlmannii V 9243, two from A. magna V 13751 × A. kempff-mercadoi V 13250, and one from A. magna K 30097 ×A. kuhlmannii V 7639. Amphidiploids can be reached based on these diploid plants and they can be used in breeding programs aiming pest resistance introgression.