PLANT-REGENERATION THROUGH SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS FROM CALLUS INDUCED ON IMMATURE EMBRYOS OF ALSTROEMERIA SPP L

The plant regeneration ability of callus obtained from zygotic embryos of the monocot Alstroemeria spp. was studied. The best explants for s omatic embryogenesis were immature zygotic embryos in half-ovules when the endosperm was still soft and white. For 2 genotypes embryogenic c allus was induced on callus induction medium with a success rate of 54 %. The best callus induction period was 10 weeks. The morphology of em bryogenic callus was nodular. Somatic embryos were formed after transf er of the callus to regeneration medium. These somatic embryos reveale d later on the typical features of zygotic Alstroemeria embryos. The t otal duration of the plant regeneration protocol, from inoculation til l rooted plantlets ready for transfer to the greenhouse, was 28 weeks.