PLANT-REGENERATION FROM IN VITRO-CULTURED SEEDLING LEAF PROTOPLASTS OF ACTINIDIA-ERIANTHA BENTH

Newly expanded in vitro leaves of Actinidia eriantha were used for pro toplast isolation. Protoplasts were cultured in liquid MS medium (lack ing NH,NO,) supplemented with 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) a nd 0.4 M glucose. The plating efficiency after 3 weeks of culture was 19.4%, and calli were recovered without addition of fresh medium. Thes e calli regenerated shoots on transfer to MS medium containing 2.28 mu M zeatin and 0.57 mu M IAA (indole-3-acetic acid). Regenerated shoots were rooted by immersion in 20 ppm IBA (indole-3-butyric acid) soluti on before culturing on half-strength MS medium lacking growth regulato rs. Somaclonal variation, in terms of chromosome number and nuclei per cell of protoplast-derived plants, was estimated.