African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 6 (7), pp. 861-876, 2 April 2007   

ISSN 1684–5315 © 2007 Academic Journals        

Full Length Research Paper

Effects of genotype, explant type and nutrient medium components on canola (Brassica napus L.) shoot in vitro organogenesis

Ghasemi Bezdi Kamal ^{1, 2}*, Karlov Gennady Illich² and Ahmadikhah Asadollah³

¹Cotton Research Institute of Iran, Beheshti St, P. O. Box 49175-483, Gorgan, Iran.

²Russian State Agrarian University – MTAA named after K. A. Timiriazev, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Timiriazevskaya St., No. 49, Moscow 127550, Russia.

³Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Gorgan, Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Gorgan, Iran.

*Corresponding author. E-mail:  kghasemibezdi@yahoo.com.  Tel: (+98171) 2254960. Fax: (+98171) 2227781.

Accepted 5 March, 2007

The objective of the study was to develop an efficient method for shoot regeneration of canola (Brassica napus L.) and to compare the regeneration capacity of different explants on MS medium with several combinations of plant growth regulators. The experiments showed that the morphogenetical potential of canola depends on genotype, primary explant, hormonal structure and concentration of nutrient medium. Cotyledons possessed higher regeneration ability in comparison to hypocotyls and roots. The best regeneration capability was exhibited by the cultivar 'Quantum'. Its frequency with cotyledonary explants reached 68.8% on all used media. Addition of 3 mg/l ABA in nutrient medium considerably increased the regeneration frequency. The highest shoot regeneration (100%), however, took place when cotyledonary explants were cultivated on medium, containing 1.0 mg/l NAA, 8.0 mg/l BAP and 3.0 mg/l ABA. Precultivation of explants on callus induction medium did not affect the shoot regeneration frequency. Vitrification of regenerants was promoted by increasing the auxin NAA or cytokinin BAP, and ABA in the nutrient medium.

Key words: Brassica napus, shoot regeneration, cotyledonary explants, nutrient medium, seedlings, vitrification.