IN VITRO CALLUS PRODUCTION AND PLANT REGENERATION FROMPETIOLES OF WATERCRESS (NASTURTIUM MICROPHYLLUM BOENN. EX REICHB.)

Abstract

Watercress petioles were planted on Murashige and Skoog media containing 30 g/l sucrose and 8.5 g/l agar, as well as concentrations of 10 and 20 uM benzylaminopurine (BAP) in combination with 5 and 25 uM indoleacetic acid (IAA) or 5 and 25 uM naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). Calli were transferred to the same media or to media with 5 uM IAA and 10 uM BAP. Transfer to media with 5 uM IAA and 10 uM BAP resulted in an increased percentage of explants with shoots in the NAA plus BAP treatments while increasing the number of shoots per explant in the IAA plus BAP treatments. The greatest number of shoots per explant were obtained when explants were grown on media with 25 uM IAA and 20 uM BAP and then transferred to media with 5 uM IAA and 10 uM BAP. Thirty percent of the explants rooted on media with 25 uM NAA and 20 uM BAP followed bv transfer to 5 uM IAA and 10 uM BAP.