In vitro plant regeneration from callus of niger (Guizotia abyssinica Cass.) cv. Sahyadri

Callus formation was achieved with root, hypocotyl, and cotyledon explants of niger (Guizotia abyssinica Cass.) cultivar Sahyadri on Murashige and Skoog medium containing 0.5 mg l–1β-indoleacetic acid + 1.5 mg l–1 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). Hypocotyl and cotyledon-derived calli when transferred onto a medium with 0.5 mg l–1 BAP produced an average of 12–32 shoots/ callus culture. The callus retained its potential for shoot regeneration for more than 19 months. The shoots formed an extensive root system and were transferred to pots kept in a greenhouse, where the survival rate was 98%. The plantlets flowered in vitro if transfer to fresh medium or to soil was delayed by 40–50 days. All regenerants were diploid with 2n=30.