Isoelectric focusing in the vegetable seed industry

Different types of electrophoretic procedures were developed for hybrid purity testing based on starch gel electrophoresis (SGE), vertical polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), and isoelectric focusing (IEF). For the most important vegetables these methods are much faster than plant grow-outs and relatively inexpensive. Compared to SGE and PAGE methods, horizontal IEF proved to be more efficient for large-scale hybrid purity testing. These developments were made possible by the basic work of Harry Rilbe and improvements that were initiated as a result of Rilbe's work. The present paper describes a number of milestones during this developmental period, starting with the isoelectric focusing concept of Harry Rilbe up to the large-scale application of IEF. Further, a comparison of IEF with DNA fingerprinting methods along with the future of both techniques is discussed with respect to hybrid purity testing in the vegetable seed industry. When it comes to a choice between the use of either IEF or a DNA-based method, efficiency and efficacy determines the method which is best suited for hybrid purity testing. It is also concluded that in the future we will see an increased use of both IEF as well as DNA-based methods for hybrid purity testing because expectations of growers has increased; consequently they will accept fewer inbreds in a hybrid variety, especially when growing in a greenhouse.