Male sterility in field beans (Vicia faba L.). I. A male-sterile bean inherited as a Mendelian recessive

Abstract

1. A male-sterile winter bean, inherited as a simple Mendelian recessive, is described.2. The sterility gene was shown to be expressed in the cytoplasm of eleven inbred lines of English winter beans, two varieties of English spring beans, six varieties of foreign spring beans and three varieties of broad beans (Vicia faba major). It is concluded that these varieties are unlikely to provide a fertility-inducing cytoplasm which would allow the development of a non-restoring pollinator.3. Evidence of linkage between three chlorophyll-deficient mutants and the male sterility locus is given and circumstances are outlined by which a suitable marker gene could be employed to assist in large-scale production of hybrid seed.