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.