Production and Application of Doubled Haploid in Brassica Improvement

Brassica is one of the most important genera in the Brassicaceae family that encompasses both oilseed and vegetable crops. Haploid and doubled haploid technology are one of the easiest ways through which plant breeding can be accelerated. In almost all the Brassica species, haploids and doubled haploids routinely generated through tissue culture–mediated approaches. Both anther and microspore culture are tissue culture dependent, and the success of these methods is dependent on several factors, such as genotype and growth condition of the plant, stage of the microspore, medium composition, stress, and others. Apart from these tissue culture methods, in the recent past, haploid inducer lines were developed through which haploids can be produced by simple crossing. These doubled haploids have several applications in Brassica breeding, such as mutagenesis, transformation, developing improved varieties, genomics, and in basic studies. Several genes and QTLs have been identified related to anther and microspore culture in Brassica spp. Apart from these advantages and applications, there are various challenges in doubled haploid technology which need to be addressed.