A COMPARISON OF AMIDE AND UREIDE NITROGEN-SOURCES IN TISSUE-CULTURE OF TREE LEGUME PROSOPIS-ALBA CLONE B2 V-50

The effects of medium nitrogen sources on the recalcitrant nature of Prosopis alba clone B2V50 in tissue culture were compared involving shoot development using axillary bud explants from 2 to 4-year-old greenhouse-grown trees. A significant difference (P<0.05) was found between the amino acids aspartic acid and glutamic acid and their corresponding amide-containing compounds asparagine and glutamine. A comparison between amide and ureide nitrogen sources showed that allantoin, a ureide, was an acceptable replacement for asparagine or glutamine. Allantoin, asparagine, and glutamine could be used as the sole nitrogen sources. Allantoin at a concentration of 20 mM was adopted for use in future research. Although shoots were consistently induced, all explants showed complete shoot-tip necrosis after 12 weeks of in vitro culture. © 1990 Kluwer Academic Publishers.