Interploidy hybridization

Interploidy hybridization is a term to describe a hybridization (or manual cross) between two different individuals of different ploidy levels. Individuals resulting from this type of hybridization are called interploidy hybrids.^[1] This phenomenon is often observed in plants. Interploidy hybridizations in angiosperms often cause abnormal seed development, leading to reduced seed size or seed abortion. This reproductive bottle neck leads to a phenomenon called triploid block.^[2] In agriculture, development of new plant cultivars, utilizing interploidy hybrids, is usually preceded by interspecific cross between two closely related species with different ploidy levels.