CHANGES IN N-2 FIXATION IN STYLOSANTHES SCABRA DERIVED FROM TISSUE-CULTURE

Plants were regenerated from leaf-derived callus culture of Stylosanth es scabra, a polyploid legume tolerant to drought and adapted to acid soils. A total of 168 regenerants were planted out in Leonard jars in a complete randomized design. Nitrogen fixation and vegetative growth were indirectly evaluated by shoot dry weight, root dry weight, shoot N content and acetylene reduction activity. The results showed higher variation in the regenerants than in controls not submitted to tissue culture. Significant differences were found for all nitrogen fixation related-traits.