Wide hybridization for fruit crop improvement: A review

Abstract

Wild plant species related to crop plants form an important source of useful traits for fruit quality improvement and biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. Wide hybridization involving crop wild relatives and related taxa has gained momentum in the recent fruit crop improvement programs. It breaks the species barrier for gene transfer and makes it possible to transfer the genome of one species to another, which results in changes in genotypes and phenotypes of the progenies. The incompatibilities or barriers in wide hybridization occur as prezygotic and postzygotic barriers. Techniques of chromosome doubling, bridging species, protoplast fusion and embryo rescue are highly beneficial in recovering fertile progenies by overcoming various barriers in wide crossings. The present article reviews the techniques involved in distant crossing and their applications in fruit crop improvement.