PLANT-REGENERATION FROM COLEOPTILE TISSUE OF WHEAT (TRITICUM-AESTIVUML.)

Plant regeneration was achieved from coleoptile tissue of wheat (Triti cum aestivum L. cv. Kharachia-65). Coleoptiles (1.0 - 3.5 cm long) wer e excised from 2- to 5-d-old seedlings and cultured on Murashige and S koog's (MS) medium supplemented with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2 ,4-D - 0.5, 2.5, and 5.0 mg dm(-3)). Cream, friable callus was obtaine d after 6 weeks of inoculation. This callus was sub-cultured on MS med ium supplemented with 2,4-D (2.5 mg dm(-3)) and 5 % coconut water. Aft er 6 weeks of sub-culturing white, cream or pale, friable, nodular cal lus was obtained. Plant regeneration occurred when this callus was sub -cultured on MS medium supplemented with 0.2 mg dm(-3) 1-naphthalene a cetic acid + 1.0 mg dm(-3) 6-benzylaminopurine. For rooting, regenerat ed shoots or plantlets were transferred on MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg dm(-3) indole-3-acetic acid. Rooted plantlets were directly tr ansferred into pots and grown under field conditions. Seed setting inv ariably occurred in all plants.