Crucial Factors Influencing the Efficiency of Androgenesis in Oat (Avena sativa L.) Through Anther and Microspore Cultures

Historically, traditional crossbreeding schemes have predominated in oat breeding. In vitro culture techniques seek to expedite the breeding process and enhance selection efficiency. Maximum yields are achieved from hybrid plants produced by crossing pure (homozygous) lines with the desired traits. Homozygous lines can be produced through conventional breeding methods, which are time-consuming and costly. Alternatively, the production of homozygous lines can be accelerated by producing doubled haploid (DH) plants derived from (haploid) male gametophytes or their microspores (androgenesis). This method condenses the various stages required for producing homozygous lines in a single generation, resulting in significant time and cost savings. These and other advantages render androgenic DHs the preferred choice in numerous important crops where any of the various in vitro experimental techniques (anthers culture or isolated microspores culture) are well-established. However, in the case of oat (Avena sativa L.), an efficient plant regeneration method remains not very effective compared to the most common cereals, possibly due to the known recalcitrance of this cereal to in vitro culture. This review presents the methods through anther and microspore cultures utilized in the production of oat DHs revealing the crucial factors influencing the efficiency of this method in oat (Avena sativa L.).