Development of a plant regeneration system based on friable embryogenic callus in the ornamental Alstroemeria

Stem segments of seedlings from two Alstroemeria breeding lines, cultured o n media supplemented with 4 mg/l 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 0.5-1.0 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine (BA), initiated soft callus, which became compact after subculture on a medium with only 0.5 mg/l BA. Friable embryogenic ca lli were initiated from compact callus on a medium supplemented with 10 mg/ l picloram. Proembryos developed from friable embryogenic calli via embryos into plants after subculture on medium supplemented with 0.1 mg/l BA. The proembryos formed friable embryogenic calli again after culture on medium s upplemented with 10 mg/l picloram. The total time needed to regenerate a co mplete plantlet from friable callus was approximately 6 months. This system for the production of embryogenic material is considered to have valuable applications for genetic transformation in Alstroemeria.