"Erussica", the intergeneric fertile somatic hybrid developed through protoplast fusion between Eruca sativa Lam. and Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.

Hypocotyl calli-derived protoplasts of two cultivars of Brassica juncea (2n=36), a major oil-seed crop, were fused with normal as well as γ-irradiated mesophyll protoplasts of Eruca sativa (2n=22). The irradiation of the Eruca fusion partner increased the plating efficiency as well as the morphogenic potentiality of the fusion products over the normal fusion. Fertile plants could be regenerated from such fusion products. Analysis of 63 out of 181 plants regenerated showed that, indeed, 11 somatic hybrids (2n=58) and 10 partial somatic hybrids (chromosome number ranged between 50 and 56) had been obtained. Pollen viability (0%-82.9%) and seed set (0%-50%) of the hybrids indicated them to be useful for future studies.