Back to Contents

FREE FULL TEXT PDF

SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS FROM IMMATURE COTYLEDONS OF CHICKPEA (CICER ARIETINUM L.)

R. ISLAM

Abstract: Regeneration of plants by means of somatic embryogenesis is of utmost importance for improvement through somatic cell genetics. This is preferred over normal regeneration via organogenesis due to various advantages when used for transformation. High number of regenerants can be obtained originating from few or single cells which increases the likelihood of achieving transformed plants. Little progress has been made towards developing an in vitro regeneration system for chickpea, an important food legume crop. To date, chickpea has been regenerated only from preexisting shoot meristems (Rao & Chopra, 1989'; Rao & Reddy, 1992). This study describes the development of chickpea somatiic embryos on immature cotyledon explants.

Department of Botany, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh.