Effect of the use of indole-3-acetic acid on somatic embryogenesis of sunflower (Heliantus annuus) grown in the southern region

Abstract

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is one of the most important oil crops worldwide. However, one of the early uses of this species was as an ornamental plant due to the color and variety of its flowers. Today, there is increasing interest in tissue culture techniques in this species using growth regulators for callus formation. We evaluated three concentrations of indole-3-acetic acid, 0.1, 0.5 and 1 mg/L, on embryogenic callus formation using cotyledon, hypocotyl and root of sunflower cultivated in Southern Mexico. Results indicate that the three concentrations promoted callus formation, however, the best development was observed at 0.1 mg/L indole-3-acetic acid. Thus, indole-3-acetic acid is an efficient regulator for H. annuus plant growth and organogenesis.