XVI International Botanical Congess

The present paper involves a study for the callus induction and plant regeneration from four commercial Egyptian durum wheat cultivars (Triticum durum Desf., Souhag 1, Souhag 2, Souhag 3 and Beni Suef 1) and their F1 hybrids. Immature inflorescences and immature embryos were cultured on agar solidified MS medium supplemented with 2 mg/l 2,4-D for initiation of callus. Cultures were incubated in the darkness at 26 c for 4-5 weeks. For plant regeneration, the induced calli were then cultured on MS medium supplemented with different combinations of auxins and cytokinins. Callus initiation and shoot/plantlet differentiation from the calli could be achieved in all genotypes. The four cultivars and their crosses differed in the frequency of totipotent calli initiation and regenerative capacity. The percentage of callus induction from immature inflorescences and immature embryos ranged from 42.9% to 95.6% and 71.8% to 100%, respectively. In general, regeneration frequency (percent calli producing shoots/plantlets) varied from 10.5% to 58.1%, and the best plant regeneration was achieved from MS basal medium supplemented with IAA and BAP (at 0.5 mg/l each). General and specific combining ability as well as gene action of in vitro culture response will be discussed.