EMBRYO RESCUE IN PLANTS - A REVIEW

The plant breeders usually rescue inherently weak, immature or hybrid embryos to prevent degeneration. The successful production of plants f rom the cultured embryos largely depends upon the maturation stage and the composition of the medium. Abortion of embryos at one or the othe r stage of development is a characteristic feature of distant hybridiz ation. For the first time successful embryo culture to obtain an inter specific cross between Linum perenne x L. austriacum was demonstrated by Laibach (1925, 1929). Since then several refinements have been made in embryo culture/embryo rescue techniques which have been a popular approach for raising hybrids from a number of incompatible crosses. Cu rrently embryo rescue holds great promise not only for effecting wide crosses, but also for obtaining plants from inherently weak embryos, o btaining haploid plants as well as for shortening the breeding cycle.