Culture of Barley Anthers in Conditioned Media

Abstract

High yielding anther cultures of Hordeum vulgare cv. Sabarlis are obtained at inoculation densities of 10—20 per ml by use of media previously conditioned by Sabarlis anthers. To achieve these high yields anthers at the mid-unicellular pollen stage (stage 2), stressed in the excised spike for 14 d at 7 °C, are necessary, but for conditioning of media older anthers may be used with or without the stress pretreatment. Conditioning for 7 d by anthers at young bicellular pollen stages (stages 5—6) is highly effective. Hormones supplied in the medium interact synergistically with the conditioning factor. Sabarlis ovaries are shown to be even more effective for conditioning than anthers, whereas glumes and other parts of the spike are relatively ineffective. Anthers of oats, rye, wheat, maize, tobacco, and one other genotype of barley are also less effective than Sabarlis anthers. The improved method of anther culture is more efficient than spike culture for the production of pollen callus in Sabarlis barley.