Breeding a genie and cytoplasmic double‐MS line of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)

All rapeseed lines with Polima male sterility (MS) that are applied in hybrid cultivars have the problem that their sterility varies with temperature. To overcome this problem, two double‐MS lines with genie (GMS) as well as cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) genes were synthesized through seven generations of breeding, based on a systematic study of changes in fertility of the genie and cytoplasmic male sterility lines. The fertility of the new sterility lines was determined by observation of the floral organs and by pollen staining. The results showed that, in the double‐MS lines, half the plants maintained the features of the Polima CMS line, while the other half behaved like the GMS line. The GMS genes were correctly expressed in the Pol cytoplasm, but there was little interaction between the GMS and CMS genetic systems.