SUPERNODULATION AND NON-NODULATION PHENOTYPES OF GLYCINE-MAX (SOYBEAN) ARE STABLE THROUGH ORGANOGENIC AND EMBRYOGENIC REGENERATION

Conditions for the regeneration of soybean Glycine max cultivar Bragg and its derived nodulation mutants nts382, nod49, and nod139 (Carroll et al., 1985a; b; 1986) via organogenesis and embryogenesis were inves tigated. The nts locus conditions abundant nodulation and tolerance in nodulation to otherwise inhibitory levels of nitrate. The nod49 mutan t (allelic to rj1) governs non-nodulation, as does nod139 (at the rj6 locus). All genes are unlinked. High benzylamino purine (BAP) levels ( 50-100 mu M) were, optimal for shoot organogenesis from cotyledonary p etioles of Bragg and the nodulation mutants. Embryogenic liquid cultur es were initiated of cv. Bragg and the nodulation mutants nts382, nts1 007 nod49 and nod139. Plants from all genotypes were regenerated from the cotyledonary petiole organogenic system while only plants of nts10 07 were regenerated from the embryogenic suspension culture system. Th e nts1007 plants regenerated from embryogenic suspension cultures and the plants from shoot organogenesis of the cotyledonary petiole were f ertile and showed the same nodulation phenotypes as the parental mater ial. The described protocols and cultures may be useful for gene trans fer into these soybean genotypes.