SINGLE AND COMBINED EFFECTS OF COLCHICINE, L-PROLINE AND POST-INOCULATION LOW-TEMPERATURE ON ANTHER CULTURE OF WHEAT, TRITICUM-AESTIVUM L

This investigation was undertaken to study the effects of colchicine, L-proline and a post-inoculation cold temperature of 14 degrees C for 7 days, either as a single or as combined treatments, on the parameter s of anther culture of the DH83Z118.32 wheat genotype. Results indicat e that the addition of 100 mg/l colchicine to the induction medium fbr a period of 3 days and at an incubation temperature of 28 degrees C y ielded the highest success index. This treatment, although it signific antly reduced embryogenesis, improved embryoid quality so that not onl y the total regeneration, but also the percentage of green plantlets i ncreased significantly. In addition, it raised the percentage of doubl ed haploids and, consequently, led to a significantly better final suc cess index. Combining the colchicine treatment with a reduced post-ino culation temperature did not intensify its beneficial effect, although a treatment of reduced temperature alone was superior to normal tempe rature (28 degrees C) for most parameters studied. The beneficial effe cts of adding L-proline (200 mg/l) to the induction medium, combined w ith a low temperature (10 degrees C for 4 days) treatment, were dimini shed when this treatment was combined with a colchicine treatment.