Full Length Research Paper

Effects of embryo induction media and pretreatments in isolated microspore culture of hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Falat)

Hamid Shirdelmoghanloo¹, Ahmad Moieni¹* and Amir Mousavi²

¹Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, P. O. Box 14115 - 336 Tehran, Iran.

²Department of Plant Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, P. O. Box 14155 - 6343, Tehran, Iran.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: moieni_a@modares.ac.ir.  

Accepted 21 May, 2009

   Abstract

Isolated microspores of many plants can be induced in vitro to switch their developmental process from the gametophytic to a sporophytic pathway under appropriate conditions and produce haploid plants. This research reports the effects of cold pretreatment with or without either mannitol or chemical + heat and 5 embryo induction media (NPB-99, C17, W14, CHB-2 and P2) on embryo production, percentage of total and green plant regeneration in isolated microspore culture of an Iranian spring bread wheat cultivar (Falat). The results showed that combination of 21 days cold (4°C) with mannitol (0.3 M) produced the highest number of embryos/spike while the combination of cold with chemical + heat produced the lowest number. In the case of total and green plant regeneration, "7 days cold + mannitol" was more superior than other pretreatments. NPB-99, W14 and C17 media produced the highest number of embryos/spike, while CHB-2 medium appeared to be a better medium for green plant regeneration.

Key words: Hexaploid wheat, haploid, isolated microspore culture, pretreatment, embryo induction medium, cultivar “Falat”.