In vitro Anther culture and Production of Haploids in Cannabis sativa

Cannabis sativa has been used for thousands of years for recreational, medicinal, or religious purposes. Another culture technique is the most viable and efficient method of producing homozygous doubled haploid plants within a short period. The most widely extended approaches to obtain doubled haploids (DHs) have traditionally been based on the use of haploid cells of male or female origin to induce their development as haploid embryos by the application of different stresses under in vitro conditions. They are the so-called in vitro approaches. Thus, the long process of conventional breeding methods can be reduced by homozygosity in early generations. The recessive alleles could be obtained and selected earlier due to the homozygosity of doubled haploids (DHs) lines. Double haploid technology (DH) is an essential tool in plant breeding, enabling the rapid production of homozygous lines. However, doubled haploids (DH) were not highly relevant in plant breeding until researchers at the Department of Botany in the University of Delhi, India, reported a major breakthrough in the production of haploids from anther culture in Datura innoxia (Guha and Maheshwari, 1964, 1966). Their research revolutionized the use of doubled haploid (DH) technology in plant breeding worldwide. However, the practical application of this technology in Cannabis sativa improvement is still limited by various factors that influence culture efficiency. Cannabis sativa L. has been categorized as recalcitrant to doubled haploid (DH) induction and androgenesis induction, although very few embryos can be developed. However, the potential of in vitro anther culture in Cannabis sativa is yet to be completely exploited mainly due to the recalcitrant genetic backgrounds in Cannabis sativa.