MESOPHYLL PROTOPLASTS OF CICHORIUM INTYBUS L. : AN ALTERNATIVE TO MULTIPLICATION AND SELECTION

If traditional methods are usually used with witloof chicory tissues to multiply interesting genotypes, protoplasts allow new possibilities as species amelioration and selection.
It is then possible from a cell population to separate induced or natural mutants as for instance herbicides or toxins resistants.
However one of the problems with protoplasts utilization is the capacity of plant regeneration.

Our results show that the whole development cycle of Cichorium intybus L. var.
Witloof (cv. ‘Zoom’) can be obtained with protoplasts released from aseptic plantlets.
The regeneration rate is about 0.1 to 1 % according to experimental conditions.

An yield improvement in our laboratory will be the result of new investigations on initial density of protoplast, osmotic pressure, composition of culture media and the utility of agar adjunction at the first step of culture.

Symposium on In Vitro Problems Related to Mass Propagation of Horticultural Plants

J. Vasseur, J.L. Millecamps, J. Dubois, N. Saksi

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1987.212.128