EMBRYOGENESIS AND PLANT REGENERATION FROM TISSUE CULTURE OF SEHIMA NERVOSUM (ROTTL.) STAPF

A white, compact, hard, nodular embryogenic callus was obtained from mature caryopses of Sehima nervosum cultured on Murashige and Skoog's (1962) medium supplemented with 3.0 mgl-1 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Such embryogenic cultures were maintained on MS medium containing 2.0 mgl-1 2,4-D and 100 mgl-1 ascorbic acid. Embryogenic cultures organized into well defined grass embryos when transferred to MS medium containing 1.0 mg-1 2,4-D under dark conditions. These embryos when transferred to auxin free MS medium and kept in light developed into complete plantiets. Out of 1000 embryos transferred for germination, 980 (Ca 98%) produced complete plantlets. Young plantlets were successfully transplanted to pots and grown to maturity in greenhouse. All the plants were green except ten albino.