REGENERATION OF PLANTS VIA SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS FROM LEAFBASE AND LEAF TIP SEGMENTS OF ECHINOCHLOA-COLONA

Plant regeneration via somatic embryogenesis was achieved in leafbase and leaf tip explants derived from 10-day-old in vitro-grown seedlings of Echinochloa colona. Somatic embryogenesis was induced in the callu s on Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium supplemented with 4.44 mu M 6-b enzyladenine, 4.64 mu M kinetin and 8.05 mu M 1-naphthaleneacetic acid after 4 weeks of culture incubated for 14 days in continuous dark and subsequently under a 14-h photoperiod. The incidence of somatic embry ogenesis was greater in leafbase- than in leaf tip-derived calluses. H istological observations revealed various stages of development of som atic embryogenesis. The embryos matured and germinated on fresh medium lacking growth regulators. The somatic embryo-derived plantlets were established in soil.