Bns. Murthy et al., IN-VITRO REGENERATION OF CHICKPEA (CICER-ARIETINUM L.) - STIMULATION OF DIRECT ORGANOGENESIS AND SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS BY THIDIAZURON, Plant growth regulation, 19(3), 1996, pp. 233-240
In vitro regeneration in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) was achieved by
direct culture of mature seeds on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium sup
plemented with either N-phenyl-N'(-1,2,3-thidiazol-5-yl) urea (thidiaz
uron, TDZ) or N-6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). Multiple shoots formed de n
ovo without an intermediary callus phase at the cotyledonary notch reg
ion of the seedlings within 2 to 3 weeks of culture initiation. TDZ wa
s found to be more effective compared to BAP as an inductive signal of
regeneration. The former induced multiple shoot formation at all the
concentrations tested (1 mu M to 100 mu M), although, maximum morphoge
nic response was observed at 10 mu M concentration. Addition of naphth
aleneacetic acid (NAA) alone or in combination with BAP to the MS medi
um failed to invoke a similar response. When the TDZ supplemented medi
um was amended with L-proline, the resultant regenerants were mostly s
omatic embryos. Histological investigations confirmed the switch in th
e regeneration pathway from directly formed adventitious shoots to emb
ryogenesis. For obtaining plantlets, adventitious shoots were rooted o
n MS medium supplemented with 2.5 mu M NAA; somatic embryos were germi
nated and established on MS medium. Normal plants were regenerated fro
m both adventitious shoots and somatic embryos and transferred to soil
.