SELECTION OF MEDIA FOR MASS REGENERATION OF SUGARCANE PLANTS FROM CALLUS-CULTURE

The morphogenetic abilities of callus tissues derived from four sugarc ane genotypes (cvs. Co 421, PR 980, and POJ 2878 and the clone Sacchar um giganteum of the species S. robustum Grassl.) were studied. The bes t conditions for mass plant regeneration from cultured tissues were se lected. Murashige-Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 3 mg/l 2,4-D and 5 mg/l diethyldithiocarbamate was shown to be best for the formation of morphogenic calli by all genotypes. MS medium with 1 mg/l of NAA wa s best suited to shoot formation, whereas Schenk-Hildebrandt medium wi th 5 mg/l NAA best favored their rooting. Under these conditions, 70 t o 90% of the calli derived from commercial sugarcane cultivars develop ed shoots with a frequency of 2.6-3.2 shoots per callus. The clone S. giganteum showed a poorer morphogenetic capacity: only 10% of calli re generated plants, with a frequency of 0.4 plant per callus.