High efficiency organogenesis in sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) tissues from different seedling explants

In vitro plant regeneration was achieved from eight sweet pepper varieties (Capsicum annuum L.). The effect of various explant types (cotyledons, leaves, cotyledonary nodes and shoot-tip from 25-day-old seedlings and embryonic cotyledons, embryonic hypocotyls and wounded seedlings) on bud and shoot regeneration and shoot elongation was evaluated. Differences in ability for in vitro shoot regeneration and elongation depended on the variety and explant type. In general, high regeneration frequency was obtained from all varieties. "Agridulce" displayed the highest regeneration response: an average of 3.45 elongated shoots per explant using embryonic cotyledons. Elongated shoots were excised and rooted on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium either without plant growth regulators or with 0.5 IBA (indole-3-butyric acid) or 0.05 NAA (alpha -naphthaleneacetic acid). Plantlets were transplanted to soil and acclimatised in the greenhouse showing normal development and growing to maturity bearing normal fruits with seeds.