SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS AND PLANT-REGENERATION IN GARDEN LEEK

High frequency plant regeneration via somatic embryogenesis has been i nduced from in vitro shoot-base cultures of seedlings of garden leek ( Allium porrum L.). Four main steps are involved in the procedure using BDS medium: - shoot multiplication with 17.6 mM benzyladenine; - indu ction of nodular callus from the in vitro shoot base with 9 mM 2,4-dic hlorophenoxyacetic acid; - initiation of embryogenic callus from nodul ar callus with 9 mM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid + 7.6 mM abscisic a cid; - plant regeneration from embryogenic callus with 9.8 mM N-6-(2-i sopentenyl)adenine. The presence of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid in the medium and light conditions were shown to be essential for nodular callus induction and somatic embryogenesis. Abscisic acid was not a p rerequiste for somatic embryogenesis, but it significantly increased t he frequency.