REGENERATION OF WHOLE PLANTS FROM PROTOPLASTS ISOLATED FROM TISSUE-CULTURED SHOOT PRIMORDIA OF GARLIC (ALLIUM-SATIVUM L)

Protoplasts derived from tissue-cultured shoot primordia of garlic (Allium sativum L.) initiated successive cell divisions within 4 days and formed small individual calli (0.2mm in diameter) after 5 weeks of culture on Gamborg's B5 medium supplemented with 0.1% casein hydrolysate, 1mg/l 1-naphthaleneacetic acid and 1mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine. Plating efficiency was roughly 5% at the density of 1x10(4) protoplasts/ml of medium. Adventitious buds developed from the calli during subsequent subculture on Gamborg's B5 medium supplemented with 40mg/l adenine and 10% coconut milk. When transferred to the same medium without supplements, these buds grew into shoots and rooted. The regenerated garlic plantlets were successfully transferred to the greenhouse and grew into whole plants.