Preliminary results of in vitro culture of pea and lupin embryos for the reduction of generation cycles in single seed descent technique

The aim of the studies was to establish in vitro conditions for the culture of pea and lupin embryos as the first step in the development of an in vitro assisted single seed descent technique for the attainment of homozygous populations. Materials for the study included of pea, and narrow-leafed and yellow lupin cultivars. Embryos dissected from mature but still-green seeds were cultured in vitro on two modified MS media and under three temperature regimes. Shoot and root lengths of regenerated plants were measured after 7, 14 and 21 days of culture. For pea plants full-strength MS medium with 4 g l(-1) agar and temperature 22/20 degrees C (day/night) appeared to be the most conducive to shoot and root development, whereas for lupin plants lower temperatures were more propitious: 12 degrees C in the dark for narrow-leafed lupin and 16/12 degrees C (day/night) for yellow lupin. Almost all the cultured embryos developed into plants, but not all the regenerated plants survived acclimation to ex vitro conditions.