Full Length Research Paper

Optimization of callus induction and regeneration system for Pakistani wheat cultivars Kohsar and Khyber-87

Sabahat Noor¹, Ghulam Muhammad Ali²*, Umer Rashid², Muhammad Arshad¹, Shoukat Ali² and Yusuf Zafar²

¹Department of Botany, Pir Mehr Ali Shah, Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

²Plant Biotechnology, NIGAB, National Agriculture Research Center Park Road Islamabad, Pakistan.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: drgmali@yahoo.ca.

Abbreviations: 2,4-D, 2,4-Dichlorophenoxy acetic acid; BAP, 6-benzylaminopuri; IAA, indole-3-acetic acid; MS, Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium.

Accepted 30 June, 2009

   Abstract

Wheat is a member of family Poaceae. It is the major staple food of Pakistan. The present study was done to improve the regeneration of two commercially grown wheat varieties Kohsar and Khyber-87. Mature embryos were used as explants. Five different concentrations of 2,4-D; 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5 and 4 mg/L were used for callus induction. For regeneration, initially different concentrations (0.1 to 0.2) of IAA (indole-3-acetic acid) and BAP (6-benzylaminopurine) were experimented. The best combination of these hormones that is, 0.1 mg/L IAA and 0.5 mg/L BAP were further subjected to experimentation along with different concentrations of kinetin; 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5 and 1 mg/L. Maximum calli of Kohsar (83.3%) was obtained at 3 mg/L 2,4-D whereas for Khyber-87 maximum callus induction (71.70%) was obtained at 3.5 mg/l 2,4-D. The maximum regeneration of both Kohsar and Khyber-87 (80.5 and 62.2%, respectively) were obtained at the combinations of 0.1 mg/L IAA, 0.5 mg/L BAP and 0.5 mg/L kinetin.

Key words: Kohsar, Khyber-87 and wheat.