Abstract
Soybean (Glycine max (L) Merrill) is used in India mostly as a substantial fund of protein and oil, which makes the crop significantly important. Somaclonal variation has been researched as a base of additional variability for drought in soybean. In the present experiment calli/cell clumps/embryoids rose from immature and mature embryonic axis and cotyledons explants were exposed to different concentrations of polyethylene glycol (PEG6000). A discontinuous method proved to be superior as it permitted the calli/embryoids/cell clumps to regain their regeneration competence. A total of 64 (12.21%) plantlets of genotype JS335 and 78 (13.13%) of genotype JS93-05 were regenerated after four consequent subcultures on the selection medium with an effective lethal concentration of 20% PEG6000, and proliferated calli/embryoids/cell clumps were further subcultured on Murashige and Skoog regeneration medium supplemented with 0.5 mgL−1 each of α-napthalene acetic acid (NAA), 6-benzyladenine (BA) and Kinetin (Kn), 20.0 gL−1 sucrose and 7.5 gL−1 agar. Putative drought-tolerant plantlets were acquired from genotype JS93-05 (38) in more numbers compared to genotype JS335 (26). Random decamer primers confirmed the presence of variability between mother plants and regenerated plants from both the genotypes. Since these plantlets recovered from tolerant calli/embryoids/cell clumps selected from the medium supplemented with PEG6000, the possibility exists that these plants may prove to be tolerant against drought stress.
Highlights
Soybean (Glycine max (L) Merrill) in India is used as a significant source of protein and oil
Cell clumps/embryoids were exposed to PEG6000 to induce mutants to develop putative drought-tolerant plantlets
The methods of in vitro selection using Polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a selection agent from two drought-susceptible soybean genotypes were developed for generating putative drought-tolerant somaclones
Summary
Soybean (Glycine max (L) Merrill) in India is used as a significant source of protein and oil. It is in great demand, the ever-increasing demand is unsatiated and the national production is quite insufficient, mainly due to ever-decreasing planting areas. The development of high-yielding soybean varieties may necessitate crop improvement programmes even in abiotically stressed circumstances, drought being one of them. Drought has been found to be responsible for low yields in soybean as well as for other crop production in dry areas in India. For the development of crop cultivars with increased tolerance to drought, breeding and biotechnological methods may play vital roles, and selected cultivars may be used to increase agricultural production in dry land areas [1]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
