Effect of 2,4-D concentration on the androgenic response in anther culture of barley

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of various 2,4-D concentrations on the androgenic response and plant development in anther culture of barley. Anthers were either plated directly on the FHG medium supplemented with 20 mg dm−3 of 2,4-D, or pretreated with 0.7 mol dm−3 mannitol and plated on an induction medium containing various concentrations of 2,4-D: 0.2, 2.0, or 20 mg dm−3. The concentration of 20 mg dm−3 was used for 3 days only; subsequently, anthers were transferred onto the medium containing 0.2 mg dm−3 of 2,4-D. It was shown that osmotic stress cannot be replaced with the high concentration of 2,4-D. The most numerous embryos, embryogenic calli, and plants (including green plants) were obtained with 0.7mol dm−3 mannitol pretreatment and 0.2 mg dm−3 of 2,4-D in the induction medium. The auxin concentration also affected the dynamics of embryogenic structure formation and plant development from embryogenic structures. The concentrations higher than 0.2 mg dm−3 slowed down embryogenic structure formation and plant development, and they increased the proportion of calli as compared to embryos in plant regeneration.