Anther Culture in Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.)

Doubled haploids have a high impact on the improvement of heterozygous crops through hybridization. Anther culture is a doubled haploid technique for producing homozygous lines. In coconut, a tree species reported to be recalcitrant for tissue culture, a successful doubled haploid protocol was established through anther culture. All the factors affecting androgenesis induction have been optimized. In this chapter, a stepwise protocol, from doubled haploid induction including palm selection, anther isolation, pretreatment, and culture initiation, up to plant regeneration and thereafter acclimatization of the regenerated plants, is described. Furthermore, the protocol for testing the anther-derived plants for the ploidy level is also presented.