Enhancement of plant regeneration from embryogenic callus of commercial barley cultivars

Genotypic restrictions on plant regeneration from cultured cells have hindered the genetic transformation of most barley cultivars. Optimizing culturing protocols for specific cultivars of commercial interest may facilitate their genetic transformation. Plant regeneration from embryogenic callus of 'Harrington', 'Morex', and 'Hector' as affected by certain protocol modifications was examined in replicated experiments. Regeneration was improved for all cultivars by separately autoclaving certain components of the culture media and by reducing the amount of embryogenic callus cultured per petri dish. Regeneration improvements in response to various concentrations of copper and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid were more genotype specific. This study suggests that the development and use of genotype-specific protocols can enhance plant regeneration. Enhancements in plant regeneration are expected to facilitate the transformation of commercial barley germplasm.