Primary trisomics of rice: origin, morphology, cytology and use in linkage mapping

Twelve primary trisomics of Oryza sativa L. were isolated from the progenies of spontaneous triploids and were transferred by backcrossing to the genetic background of IR36, a widely grown high yielding rice variety. Eleven trisomics can be identified morphologically from one another and from diploids. However, triplo 11 is difficult to distinguish from diploid sibs.-The extra chromosome of each trisomic was identified cytologically at pachytene stage of meiosis, and the chromosomes were numbered according to their length at this stage. The major distinguishing features of each pachytene chromosome were redescribed.-The female transmission rates varied from 15.5% for triplo 1, the longest chromosome, to 43.9% for triplo 12, the shortest chromosome. Seven of the 12 primary trisomics transmitted the extra chromosome through the male. The low level of chromosomal imbalance tolerated by rice and other evidence are interpreted to indicate that this species is a basic diploid.-Genetic segregation for 22 marker genes in the trisomic progenies was studied. Of a possible 264 combinations, involving 22 genes and 12 trisomics, 120 were examined. Marker genes for each of the 12 chromosomes were identified. The results helped establish associations between linkage groups and cytologically identifiable chromosomes of rice for the first time. Relationships between various systems of numbering chromosomes, trisomics, linkage groups and marker genes are described, and a revised linkage map of rice is presented.