SOMACLONAL VARIATION IN TISSUE-CULTURE OF TRITICUM-AESTIVUM X AGROPYRON-DESERTORUM F1-HYBRID

Callus induced from immature inflorescences of the partially self-fert ile hybrids (2n = 35; ABDPP) between Triticum aestivum (2n = 42; AABBD D) and Agropyron desertorum (2n = 28; PPPP) led to the regeneration of 88 plants on MS medium supplemented with 2 mg/l of 2,4-D. These regen erants were used to investigate somaclonal variation and to obtain mor e selfed derivatives. Immature inflorescences at the stage of developi ng floral primordia gave the best response in terms of callus inductio n and plant regeneration. The regenerants exhibited great variability for most morphological traits. Although the regenerants did not exhibi t variation in chromosome number, they did show a higher degree of mei otic instability than the initial hybrid. In particular, the regeneran ts gave much higher selfed seed-set (5.49 %) than the donor hybrid (0. 46 %), so that a total of 484 selfed seeds were obtained.