SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS AND PLANT-REGENERATION FROM STEM EXPLANTS OF MORICANDIA-ARVENSIS

Efficient and reproducible plant regeneration has been established fro m stem internode explants of Moricandia arvensis, a crucifer of specia l interest due to its C-3-C-4 intermediate photosynthetic activity. So matic embryogenesis was induced in one-third of explants cultured on M urashige and Skoog based medium containing 9 mM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyace tic acid. High frequencies of plant regeneration (>90%) resulted when somatic embryos were germinated on medium lacking growth regulators. R egenerated plants were diploid, fertile and morphologically similar to seed-derived plants of M. arvensis. This is the first report of somat ic embryogenesis in M. arvensis. This plant regeneration system should facilitate gene identification and localisation studies of C-3-C-4 ph ysiology by insertional mutagenesis, a prerequisite for the isolation and transfer of genes involved in C-3-C-4 metabolism from Moricandia t o cultivated brassicas.