Conditions that Impact Artificial Hybridization of Arachis hypogaea L.

ABSTRACT Modern farming is dependent on continual development of improved cultivars and efficient cultural management practice. In addition, dissecting genetic components of heritable traits also relies on the development of large mapping populations. Artificial hybridization is the critical initial step in these processes. Peanut is a self-pollinating crop with a typical yield of less than three seeds per flower; therefore, significant effort is required to produce sufficient hybrid seeds for subsequent trait selection and/or establishment of mapping populations. A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of multiple factors on the success rate of artificial hybridization assessed by transmission of molecular markers unique to the paternal parent. Multiple peanut genotypes were crossed with a breeding line homozygous for both high oleic acid and nematode resistance. The impacts of operator, pollination time, flower integrity, genotype and environment on hybridization were evaluated. Data indicated that...