INFECTION OF TOMATO ROOTS USING CALLII OF BROOMRAPE

Parasitic weeds like members of the genera Orobanche and Striga cause heavy damage to grain, vegetables and other field crops. The germinating seedlings of the parasites attack the roots of their hosts, following a series of recognition events that control germination, seedling growth and attachment to the host root. An in vitro system has been developed that allows the production of partially differentiated callii of Orobanche aegyptiaca Pers. Protrusions of subcultures of these callii behaved like radicles of germinating seeds. Using this system normal infection of tomato roots was obtained in vitro. The infection process included haustorium formation and the development of young Orobanche plants under aseptic conditions. The system developed should now permit a study of biochemical events during infection of the host by Orobanche.