In Vitro Regeneration of Chrysanthemum from Ovaries and Ovules Treated with Thermal and Chemical Stimuli: Morphogenic and Cytogenetic Effects

Chrysanthemum ( Chrysanthemum × morifolium (Ramat.) Hemsl.) holds a prominent position in the market of ornamental plants. To further advance chrysanthemum breeding efforts, the development of haploids may be useful. Therefore, the effect of various chemical and thermal treatments on regeneration efficiency and ploidy level in chrysanthemum was studied. Ovaries and ovules of three chrysanthemum cultivars, i.e., ‘Brasil,’ ‘Capitola,’ and ‘Jewel Time Yellow,’ were cultured either on a medium with 1 mg·L −1 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and different concentrations (0.5–1.5 mg·L −1 ) of thidiazuron (TDZ) or subjected to thermal shock (pretreatment temperature of 4 °C or 32 °C) and cultured on a medium with 1 mg·L −1 2,4-D and 1 mg·L −1 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). It was found that ovaries had a greater organogenic potential (both in terms of callogenesis and shoot formation) than ovules. Microscopic analyses revealed that shoots mainly developed via indirect somatic embryogenesis from a callus developed from the ovary wall. The highest number of shoots was produced in cooled (at 4 °C) ovaries of chrysanthemum ‘Brasil’ and in ‘Jewel Time Yellow’ ovaries cultured on a medium with 1.0–1.5 mg·L −1 TDZ. The latter cultivar also had the highest potential to produce plants with an altered ploidy level (doubled and halved the number of chromosomes). This study demonstrates that manipulating factors such as temperature and thidiazuron concentration can enhance regeneration efficiency and induce altered ploidy levels in selected cultivars, offering valuable insights for chrysanthemum breeding programs.