Intraspecific crossings ofUndaria pinnatifida (Harv.) Sur.—A possible time-saving way of strain selection

Unicellular gametophytes ofUndaria pinnatifida (Harv.) Sur. were isolated in Qingdao, P. R. China in April 1993 and in Tokushima, southern Japan in March 1995. Different intraspecific crossings by using unicellular male and female gametophytes were successfully undertaken in Sept. of 1995 in Qingdao. Sporophytes were transplanted to two different locations for open sea cultivation. One was at Zhanqiao (ZQ) Bay where the water current was slower than that of another location—Taipingjiao(TPJ). A total of 218 adult sporophytes were harvested on January 12 and 18 from TPJ and ZQ respectively. For eacn combination, 10 sporophytes were cultivated. Analysis of the morphological characteristics of adult sporophytes indicated that the longest length between two bases of the serration of pinnate blades (W2) is a morphological characteristic that can be transferred from the parent plant to the next generations regardless of environmental variations. There was evidence that W2 was apparently determined by sex-linked factors, i.e., by male parental gametophyte. Sporophytes from certain crossing combinations showed more vigorous growth than those from other crossing combinations. It is therefore possible to select gametophyte strains which can be used as parental gametophytes for the seedling production of sporophytes with more vigorous growth within shorter cultivation period. The morphology of hybrids from a Qingdao strain and a Tokushima cultivated strain resembled that of both parental plants in frond features (wrinkled or smooth) and W2. Sporophyll formation also varied with strains. The fact that adult sporophytes resulting from the same crossing combinations have identical morphological characteristics under the same environmental conditions indicates the possibility of a new way to select strains which are expected to be ideal for commerical production by purposely selecting, propagating, and seeding unicellular gametophytes for sporeling production through freeliving techniques of gametophytes. Project 39400102 supported by NSFC, also supported by National Climbing Plan B (PD-B642); and Bioengineering Center, SSTC.