REGENERATION OF ASPARAGUS PLANTS FROM CALLUS-DERIVED PROTOPLASTS

Donor callus cells for protoplasts were initiated from mature plants of four selected crowns of Asparagus officinalis L. by placing spear slices on solidified Murashige and Skoog salts and vitamins medium (MS) with 3% sucrose + (mg/l): 1.0 NAA + 1.2 2,4-D + 0.9 BA or 1.0 kinetin + 2.5 2,4-D. Callus derived from these explants was further subcultured on the same medium.
Optimum protoplast yields were enzymatically obtained from such calluses 10–20 days after subculture.
The isolated protoplasts were 65–75% viable, and when plated in modified Kao and Michayluk medium at 5 x 10⁴ or 10⁵/ml densities, had 6.5 and 7.3 percent plating efficiencies, respectively.
Protoplast isolations had 0.81 to 1.4% cells present that were not subsequently observed to undergo division.
Only the protoplasts of Jersey Giant crown No. 8 sustained cell divisions over an 8 week period to form microcalluses.
After transfer and culture for an additional 4–5 weeks on solidified MS + (mg/l): 0.1 NAA +1.0 kinetin, shoots regenerated at 28% efficiency.
Shoots were rooted at 50% efficiency on solidified MS + (mg/l): 0.3 NAA + 0.7 kinetin + 2.1 ancymidol + 4% sucrose.
The rooted plants were readily transferred to the greenhouse.

VII International Asparagus Symposium

K. C. Sink, T. Boll, M. Volokita, C. T. Stephens, Wade H. Elmer

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1990.271.14