IN-VITRO GERMINATION OF WHEAT PROEMBRYOS TO FERTILE PLANTS

Wheat proembryos were excised 7 days after anthesis and germinated to normal fertile giants with an efficiency of 90%. These embryos had cle arly differentiated shoot apical meristems and represent an interestin g model system for studies of meristem biology. A combination of two m edia with different osmolarities allowed the continued development of the embryos before induction of germination. Normal germination occurr ed only after the first leaf primordium had already covered the shoot apical meristem.