Fertile progeny of a hybridization between soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] and G. tomentella Hayata

A colchicine-doubled F1 hybrid (2n=118) of a cross between PI 360841 (Glycine max) (2n=40) x PI 378708 (G. tomentella) (2n=78), propagated by shoot cuttings since January 1984, produced approximately 100 F2 seed during October 1988. One-fourth of the F2 plants or their F3 progeny have been analyzed for chromosome number, pollen viability, pubescence tip morphology, seed coat color, and isoenzyme variation. Without exception, all plants evaluated possessed the chromosome number of the G. max parent (2n=40). Most F2 plants demonstrated a high level of fertility, although 2 of 24 plants had low pollen viability and had large numbers of fleshy pods. One F2 plant possessed sharp pubescence tip morphology, whereas all others were blunt-tipped. All evaluated F2 and F3 plants expressed the malate dehydrogenase and diaphorase isoenzyme patterns of the G. max parent and the endopeptidase isoenzyme pattern of the G. tomentella parent. Mobility variants were observed among progeny for the isoenzymes phosphoglucomutase, aconitase, and phosphoglucoisomerase. This study suggests that the G. Tomentella chromosome complement has been eliminated after genetic exchange and/or modification has taken place between the genomes.