LONG-TERM CALLUS-CULTURES OF DIPLOID BARLEY (HORDEUM-VULGARE) .1. AUXIN EFFECTS ON CULTURE INITIATION AND MAINTENANCE

Use of 2,4-D was superior to NAA or IAA for embryogenic callus initiation or maintenance in barley cultivar Bruce. A concentration of at least 2.0 mg/l 2,4-D was desirable for culture initiation. The developmental size of the embryo was more important than embryo age for obtaining embryogenic calli. Even brief exposures (20-40 days) of calli to concentrations of higher than 5.0 mg/l 2,4-D or 10.0 mg/l NAA resulted in inhibition of subsequent plant regeneration and therefore, concentrations above these could not be used for maintenance cultures. In the long-term maintenance cultures, the best production of embryogenic calli was with 0.1 mg/l and 1.0 mg/l 2,4-D. © 1990 Kluwer Academic Publishers.