THIDIAZURON PROMOTES HIGH-FREQUENCY REGENERATION OF PEANUT (ARACHIS-HYPOGAEA) PLANTS IN-VITRO

Multiple shoots were induced on Valencia-type peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) explants cultured in vitro on a nutrient medium supplemented with thidiazuron. Zygotic embryos excised from mature seeds were germinate d on Murashige-Skoog nutrient medium, and the resulting plantlets (8 d ays-old) were used as a source of explants. When cultured on a nutrien t medium with increasing levels of thidiazuron (0.5 to 30 mg/l), expla nts from various parts of the peanut plant (except the root) produced multiple shoot primordia which subsequently developed into individual shoots. Hypocotyl and cotyledon explants produced shoots in higher num bers than other explants (20 shoots per hypocotyl explant at all thidi azuron concentrations and 15 shoots per cotyledon explant at 30 mg/l). Shoots rooted normally on a basal Murashige-Skoog medium containing c harcoal and developed into healthy and fertile plants when planted in soil.