Medium optimization for efficient somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from immature inflorescences and immature scutella of elite cultivars of wheat, barley and tritordeum

Media have been developed for somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from immature inflorescences and immature scutella of elite cultivars of wheat, barley and tritordeum. For wheat and tritordeum inflorescences, regeneration from embryogenic calluses induced on medium with picloram was almost twice as efficient as regeneration from cultures induced on 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). The addition of zeatin at 5 or 10 mg l(-1) to regeneration media had a positive effect on regeneration. For scutella, the highest frequencies of embryogenesis (85%) and regeneration (50%) was obtained using an induction medium containing 2 mg l(-1) of 2,4-D and half concentration of aminoacids. The morphogenetic capacities of 19 different cultivars of wheat, barley and tritordeum were compared, and clear differences were found both between explants and genotypes. In wheat, embryogenic capacity from inflorescences (average of 92%) was higher than from immature scutella (average of 62%). However, shoot regeneration from scutella was clearly higher than from inflorescences (averages of 63%, and 18% respectively). Frequencies of regeneration in wheat and barley varied widely among the cultivars tested and in both species no difference was found between spring and winter varieties.