Genetics of some in vitro characters in pearl millet

Genetics of four in vitro characters was studied using immature inflorescence-derived callus from four inbred lines. The number of genes controlling total callus quantity varied from 5-11, those for embryogenic(E) callus quantity from 4-7, for callus growth rate from 3-12 and those for regeneration frequency varied from 4-9 in the three segregating F-2 populations. Callus derived from the dwarf plants (d(2) d(2)) was phenotypically distinguishable from that of the tall accessions. The association between d(2) locus and the in vitro characters was analysed using three different approaches. It is suggested that d(2) locus might be closely linked to majority of the loci governing E callus production.