Apical Meristem Explants Research Articles

643 (PS 4) MICROPROPAGATION OF WHITE TARO (COLOCASIA ESCULENTA VAR. ESCULENTA CV. PIKOKEA, POLOLU, NIHOPUU, AND HAUKEA

Axillary or apical meristem explants of white taro, a potential hypoallergenic food, were used. `Pikokea,' `Pololu,' `Nihopuu,' and `Haukea' varieties were taken directly from the field. Disinfestation method was a 60-minute wash under running tap water, followed by a 40-minute soak in 10% commercial sodium hyperchlorite bleach, and then a double rinse in sterile water. Buds were excised and placed in sterile water. These were put in a 70% ethanol dip, followed by a sterile water rinse, a 30-minute soak in 5% commercial sodium hyperchlorite bleach, and three sterile water rinses. Modified Murashige and Skoog media containing combinations of 5 and 10 uM indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) with 5 and 10 uM 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) were used. A treatment of no growth regulators was included. Shoot development resulted in almost all explants in every treatment.

Long term regeneration by somatic embryogenesis in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) tissue cultures derived from apical meristem explants

Callus cultures were initiated from apical meristem explants of one to four-week-old aseptically-grown barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Atlas 57) plants. Embryogenic callus and plants were produced in three separate experiments; the cultures have retained regenerative capacity for three years after initiation. Our results demonstrate that explants other than immature embryos are embryogenically competent in barley and that regeneration occurs by both somatic embryogenesis and organogenesis.