EFFECT OF PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS ON SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS OF EGGPLANT (SOLANUM MELONGENA L.)

Abstract

On the MS medium containing only 2,4-D, callus induction was inhibited. Moreover, these calli were friable and turned brown after two weeks of culture. the three-week old calli were then transferred to the MS medium containing NAA 0.5 mg/l and kinetin 1 mg/l. The somatic embryos with globular shape appeared after 10 days of culture, while the heart shape, torpedo_shape and cotyledonary_shape embryos appeared successively after 15 days of culture. The abnormal embryos occupied at a rate of 34.3% and rarely germinated to plantlets. On the MS medium without plant growth regulators or only with NAA, somatic embryos could not be induced. On MS medium supplemented with ethephon 3 mg/l somatic embryogenesis from calli was inhibited. Plantlets derived from the eggplant somatic embryos had a survival rate up to 95% when transferred to the pots.