Plant regeneration from tissue culture of <i style="">Chloris virgata</i>: A salt-tolerant desert grass

Abstract

A tissue culture protocol for regeneration of salt-tolerant grass <i style="">Chloris virgata </i>Sw. is reported. Scutellum and axis of activated embryo produced callus on Murashige & Skoog (MS, 1962) medium with 2.0-45.0 <img src='/image/spc_char/micro.gif'> <i style="">M</i> of 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyaceticacid (2,4-D). The explants produced two types of callus. Type-I produced on MS + 2.0-9.0 <img src='/image/spc_char/micro.gif'> <i style="">M</i> 2, 4-D was amorphous, translucent and white; while Type-II produced on 22.0-45.0 <img src='/image/spc_char/micro.gif'> <i style="">M</i> 2,4-D was creamy, compact and globular. The latter exhibited competence to regenerate into plants. These cultures were amplified on MS + 22.0 <img src='/image/spc_char/micro.gif'> M 2,4-D. The regenerative cultures, on transfer to full, half and one-fourth strengths of growth regulator-free MS or full MS + 2.0 to 8.0 <img src='/image/spc_char/micro.gif'> <i style="">M</i> benzyladenine (BAP) differentiated into plantlets. The highest regeneration potential (6-7 plantlets per inoculation) was achieved on full-strength growth regulator-free MS medium with 50 mg L^-1ascorbic acid and 25 mg L^-1each of adenine sulphate, arginine and citric acid. The tissue culture raised plants were hardened in a greenhouse with controlled environmental conditions. Ninety per cent of the regenerants survived during acclimatization. A total of 504 acclimatized plants were transferred to polybags and in field. Of these 80% survived in the polybags and 70% in the field.