ABSTRACT
Development of a reproducible, versatile and efficient in vitro plant regeneration system is highly warranted for Indian soybean varieties for their mass multiplication in view of their commercial significance. Accordingly a protocol for direct shoot organogenesis in soybean variety JS 335 has been developed. Using cotyledonary node explants significant organogenic responses, mean shoot number and shoot length were observed when these were incubated on MS medium supplemented with 0.89 µM Benzyladenine (BA) and 5 μg/L triacontanol (TRIA) where in 9.3 ± 0.5 shoots were obtained. TRIA at 5 μg /L able to produce 6.8 ± 0.5 shoot buds in presence of 0.98 µM IBA and 0.89 µM BA. Highest mean shoot buds (14.0 ± 0.5 and 9.0 ± 0.5) and mean shoot length (4.6 ± 0.3 and 10.0 ± 0.7) were obtained when cotyledonary node and shoot tip explants were cultured on MS medium containing 0.14 µM gibberellic acid (GA3), 0.89 µM BA and 5 μg/L TRIA. Moreover, TRIA supported highest mean root number (6.3±0.5) and root length (21.5 ± 0.57 cm). Field survival of in vitro derived plants of TRIA treatment was 70% and the overall growth and seed yield was also significantly better than control plants. This protocol may be used for improving the in vitro regeneration of soybean variety JS 335 for transformation studies.