FORMATION OF Tagetes patula L. PLANTS BY TISSUE CULTURE

Abstract

The present study succeeded in the initiation of callus from different explants of axenic Tagetes patula Marigold seedlings using Murashige and Skoog medium MS supplemented with 5 mg/L benzyladenine BA and 0.5 mg/l naphthalene acetic acid NAA or with 0.05 mg/L 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid 2,4-D alone or together with indole acetic acid IAA 5 mg/l. The results confirmed the differentiation capability of callus to produce plants in agar solidified MS medium containing 5 mg/L of BA and IAA. Cotyledons and leaf callus exhibited their spontaneous formation of intact plants in one step. Also Tagetes plants were produced from differentiated of other cultures of cotyledons and leaf callus in agar solidified MS medium containing 10 mg/L of gibberellic acid GA3 and 3 mg/L of IAA with 5 mg/L of BA. The produced plants were readily rooted, and subsequently were adapted to the environmental conditions through transplanting them in soil. These plants showed Somaclonal variations including plants height, number of leaves, branching system with reduction of flower size and their pedicle length as well as number of seeds, but flowers kept their red color.