ORGANOGENESIS AND IN-VITRO FLOWERING OF ECHINOCHLOA-COLONA - EFFECT OF GROWTH-REGULATORS AND EXPLANT TYPES

Echinochloa colona regeneration via organogenesis in callus cultures d erived from leaf base and mesocotyl explants and in vitro flowering we re achived. Shoot bud regeneration was achieved on Murashige and Skoog 's (MS) basal medium supplemented with 6.66 mu M 6-benzylaminopurine ( BAP), 2.68 mu M 1-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and 3 % (m/v) saccharo se. Regenerated shoots were rooted on half strength basal MS medium wi th 2 % (m/v)saccharose devoid of growth regulators. About 90 - 95 % of rooted plantlets survived in the greenhouse. liz vitro flowering was induced in the regenerated shoots derived from callus on half strength MS medium supplemented with 4.4 mu M BAP, 74.07 mu M adeninesulphate, 0.72 mu M gibberellic acid, and 3 % (m/v) saccharose. The frequency o f in vitro flowering was 80 - 90 % in three repeated experiments. Fert ile seeds were recovered from in vitro grown plantlets which were subs equently germinated into plants.