Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from immature embryo explant of papaya (Carica papaya L. cv. washington and honey dew).

Immature zygotic embryo explants of Carica papaya were cultured on MS medium supplemented with 2,4-D (2.0 mg/l) and formed globular embryos on explants without callus formation in 4-6 weeks. Maturation and conversion of somatic embryos was also achieved on the same medium. Cotyledonary stage embryos germinated to 63.66 and 68.33% in cv. honey dew and washington respectively in MS basal medium supplemented ABA (0.5 microm/l). Robust development and proliferation of plantlet roots in vitro was obtained on MS basal medium. Hardened plantlets have 60% survival rate.

Anther culture in Helianthus annuus L., influence of genotype and culture conditions on embryo induction and plant regeneration.

Production of microspore-derived embryos from cultured anthers is now a well established technique for the isolation of homozygous lines in many crop plants. We describe here a culture method for embryo induction and plant regeneration from anthers of four sunflower genotypes. For preliminary experiments, anthers of uninucleate microspores were cultured on four types of basal media viz., Murashige and Skoog's MS, Gamborg's B5, Nitsch and Nitsch, and White's W, supplemented with 1.0 mg/l 2,4 dichlorophenoxy acetic acid and 0.5 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine and 40 g/l sucrose. MS basal medium, being more responsive for embryo induction, was used for further experimentation. To optimise the culture requirement MS basal medium was supplemented with 0.2-2.0 mg/l 2,4 dichlorophenoxy acetic acid and 0.5 and 1.0 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine. The effect of cold pretreatment, hormone regime and sucrose concentration were tested for embryogenic efficiency. Genotype had a significant effect on the capacity of embryo induction. Addition of silver nitrate (2.5 mg/l), an ethylene inhibitor, stimulated embryo germination. Plantlets were obtained (10-15%) from embryos of only one genotype.