Meristem culture of interspecific hybrids of groundnut

The shoot apices of ten groundnut interspecific hybrids, showing peanut str ipe virus symptoms were used as explants. Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium c ontaining 1 mg dm(-3) each of naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and benzylaminop urine (BAP) supported maximum callusing of the hybrids J 11 x Arachis sp, P I 30008 as well as J11 x A. sp. Manfredi # 5 (86.3 and 82.6 %, respectively ). On MS medium with 3.5 mg dm(-3) NAA and 0.2 mg dm(-3) BAP, the meristems of J 11 x A. stenosperma as well as J11 x A. otavioi gave good response (7 9.7 and 77.2 %). The regeneration frequencies ranged from 16.7 to 76.9 % an d was more than 30 % in all hybrids except for J 11 x PI 30085. Shoots (5 c m) regenerated from the virus-free (ELISA tested) calli rooted well (60 - 8 0 %) on MS basal medium supplemented with 0.4 % activated charcoal and 200 mg dm(-3) casein hydrolysate. In addition, long shoots which failed to prod uce roots, when transferred to soil during rainy season and protected from direct sun got established.