Abstract
Ten cultivars and breeding lines from two species of alfalfa (Medicago media and M. sativa) were screened for their ability to produce embryos and plantlets from the root and hypocotyl under three different tissue culture protocols. The three protocols differed in basal salt composition, vitamins, hormones and cytokinin additions. That protocol having a high 2–4,D low cytokinin induction step gave the highest percentage of embryogenic calli in some cultivars and lines. M. media cultivars and breeding lines had a high percentage of embryoid formation. M. sativa cultivars gave no embryoid formation. Two M. media breeding lines (Br1 and Le1), which were intermediate in the percentage of embryogenic calli formed from explants, had the highest number of regenerated plants established in soil. The creeping rooted M. media cultivar Heinrichs produced the highest percentage of embryogenic calli from explants but most of these embryoids were abnormal and failed to grow in soil or vermiculite. Accordingly, successful regeneration is directly related to the quality and quantity of the embryoids produced.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Blaydes, D.F. 1966. Interaction of kinetin and various inhibitors in the growth of soybean tissue. Physiol. Plant. 19, 748–753.
Brown, D.W.C., L.A. Frost and E.M. Koehl. 1983. The effect of germplasm source in the in vitro embryogenesis response of cultivated alfalfa. The Genetic Soc. Canada Bull. 14: Abstr. No. D5.
Brown, D.W.C. and Atanassov, A. 1985. Role of genetic background in somatic embryogenesis in Medicago. Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture 45, 111–122.
Faechner, T.R. and J.L. Bolton. 1978. Genetics of resistance and susceptibility in alfalfa to “alfalfa sick” soil. Can. J. Plant Sci., 58, 945–952.
Hanson, C.H. 1972.Ed. Alfalfa Science and Technology. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, Wisc.
Larkin, P.J. and Scowcroft, W.R. 1981. Somaclonal variation — a novel source of variability from cell cultures for plant improvement. Theor. Appl. Genet. 60:197–214.
Lupotto, E. 1983. Propagation of an embryogenic culture of Medicago sativa L. Z. Pflanzenphysiol. 111, 95–104.
Marble, V.L. and G. Peterson. 1982. Alfalfa varieties and brands for Californias different soils and climates pp. 15–38. In: 12th California alfalfa symposium Fresno, California. U. of California.
McKenzie, J.S. and G.E. McLean. 1984. A field test for assessing the winter hardiness of alfalfa in Northwestern Canada. Can. J. Plant Sci. 64:917–924.
McKenzie, J.S. and G.E. McLean. 1985. Identifying winterhardy alfalfa (Medicago sativa) for Northwestern Canada. (Submitted to XV International Grassland Congress, Kyoto, Japan. In press).
Oglesby, R.P. 1978. Tissue culture of ornamentals and flowers: Problems and perspectives. In: Propagation of higher plants through tissue culture (K.WS. Hughes, R. Henke and M. Constantin, eds.) pp. 59–61. U.S. Dept. Energy, Washington, D.C.
Schenk, R.U. and A.C. Hildebrandt. 1972. Medium and techniques for induction and growth of monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plant cell cultures. Can. J. Bot. 50:199–204.
Shepard, J.M. 1982. The regeneration of potato plants from leaf cell protoplasts. Sci. Am. 246:154–166.
Stavarek, S.J., T.P. Croughan and D.W. Rains. 1980. Regeneration of plants from long term cultures of Alfalfa cells. Plant Sci. Lett. 19:253–261.
Walker, K.A. and S.J. Sato. 1981. Morphogenesis in callus tissue of Medicago sativa: the role of ammonium ion in somatic embryogenesis. Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture 1, 109–121.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by F. Constabel
Respectively: Biotechnology Department, Alberta Research Council, Agriculture Canada, Beaverlodge, Alberta, and University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nagarajan, P., McKenzie, J.S. & Walton, P.D. Embryogenesis and plant regeneration of Medicago spp. in tissue culture. Plant Cell Reports 5, 77–80 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00269724
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00269724