Due to their antioxidant activity, anthocyanins are of increasing interest for nutritionists, food scientists and plant breeders. Anthocyanins in wheat grains are expressed in either the pericarp or aleurone layer. Previous studies revealed that different anthocyanins are present in wheat varieties carrying genes for either the purple pericarp or the blue aleurone trait. Progeny from crosses between red-, purple-and blue-grained wheat varieties were selected over several cycles for grain colour by visual scoring. Bulked F 5 grains were evaluated for their total anthocyanin content by UV-VIS spectrophotometry and HPLC-MS. The results demonstrate that it is possible to increase the anthocyanin content by the combination of the different genetic backgrounds for purple pericarp and blue aleurone, even though the majority of progeny were within the range of the purpleand blue-grained check varieties. Visual scoring for grain colour is efficient, reliable and fast for selection in early breeding generations. Advanced breeding lines with high anthocyanin content can be identified by simple extraction methods and spectrophotometric measurements.

Normal embryos and seedling plants were obtained from abortive ovules and seeds of seedless grape cultivars ‘Perlette’, ‘Flame Seedless’ and ‘Sultanina’. Plant development was accompanied by callus formation only in ‘Perlette’. The best medium was Nitsch’s with the addition of 10-5m IAA and 10-6m GA3. Excision and culturing of ‘Flame Seedless’ ovules 49 days after anthesis gave higher germination percentages and more viable plants than excision and culturing at anthesis plus 28. Selfed ‘Perlette’ and ‘Perlette’ × ‘Flame Seedless’ ovules cultured at 52 days gave 11%, and the reciprocal cross over 16% well developed seedlings. The significance of the findings for breeding stenospermocarpic grapes is discussed.