Factors that affect plant regeneration from in vitro culture of immature seeds in four lentil cultivars

An efficient and simple method for plant regeneration from immature lentil seeds (Lens culinaris) is described. Immature seeds from 1 to 6 mm of four lentil cultivars were cultured in vitro on 10 different media. Culture media included different concentrations of N-6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), alone or in combination with other phytohormones. After 4 weeks in culture, multiple shoot regeneration was observed using media with BAP. Immature seed size showed significant effect on shoot regeneration. Regenerated shoots (up to 4 shoots per explant on medium with Kinetin (KN) and from 5 to 20 on media with BAP) formed adventitious roots 30 days after transferring them to a medium containing 11.4 muM indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). The efficiency of the rooting medium varied depending upon the shoot-regeneration medium and the cultivar tested. The highest rooting percentage (88.9%) was obtained from regenerated shoots of the cultivar Verdina on a medium with 1 muM alpha -naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA).