Callus Culture and Somatic Embryogenesis in Wild Colchicum hierosolymitanum Feib.

Callus was induced from seeds of colchicum hierosolymitanum feib inoculated on the surface of ms mediasupplemented with 0.45 ?m 2, 4-d under dark conditions. callus was subcultured on different levels (0.0, 0.45,1.40, 2.30, 4.52 ?m) of 2, 4-d or different levels (0.0, 0.54, 1.61, 2.70, 5.40 ?m) of naa under dark and lightconditions. increased 2, 4-d up to 4.52 ?m significantly increased callus growth and the number of embryosregenerated (7.20/ explant) under dark conditions. however, the use of naa at 1.61, 2.70, or 5.40 ?m causedsignificant decrease in callus growth under darkness. callus growth and maintenance was also evaluated usingiba at 0.0, 0.49 and 2.5 ?m in combination with kinetin (0.46, 1.40 2.32, 4.70 ?m); 2ip (2.50, 3.44, 5.0, 10.0?m); zeatin (0.46, 1.4, 2.30, 3.20, 4.60 ?m) or tdz (0.45, 1.40, 2.30, 4.50 ?m). calli induced in all treatmentsthat contained the following plant growth regulators iba and kinetin or 2ip or zeatin or tdz were healthy, hard,pale yellow and friable. phenolic browning occurred after three weeks of incubation on media supplementedwith iba at 2.50 in combination with 2.5, 3.44 or 5.0 ?m of 2ip. callus maintenance was tested on differentlevels (0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 m) of sucrose, mannitol, or sorbitol as the source of carbon. sucrose was the bestcarbon source among all sugars tested and 0.2 m had positive effect on callus growth and embryo regeneration.different ratios of nh4+: no-3 (0:0, 0:30, 10:20, 20:10, 30:0, 0:60, 20:40, 40:20, 60:0) were used to evaluate thegrowth of callus. maximum callus growth was obtained at 30:0 mm total nitrogen. in addition, the highestnumber of regenerated embryos were obtained when the ratio between nh4+:no-3 was 10:20 mm.