ISLAMABAD (February 14 2004): Plant regeneration by cell and tissue culture technique can complement conventional breeding procedure and provided plants can be regenerated in a large number.

However, the success of this breeding technology depends upon the efficiency of the cultured cells for desired characteristics.

Selection of efficiency in rice can be enhanced by increasing genetic variability for agronomic and quality traits. In its cycle, tissue culture itself generates genetic variability.

Somaclonal variation techniques for plant are new breeding tools and can play a vital role for the improvement of rice productivity.

The potential for crop improvement through cell culture of cereals depends upon easier and more efficient techniques for selecting cultured callus with desired characteristics.

According to a study report Somaclonal variation, induced by in vitro cultures is well established in many plant species.

This study was meant to determine the regeneration potential, in three cultivars of rice (Oryza sativa L.) viz, Basmati-370, Basmati-385 and KS- 282, which is an important prerequisite for genetic transformation in rice in addition to producing somaclonal variants.

Mature seeds of three rice cultivars viz., Basmati-370, Basmati-385 and KS-282 acquired from the co-ordinated rice programme, NARC, Islamabad, were manually soaked in 70 percent ethanol for one minute.

They were sterilised by immersing in 45 percent chlorox for 20 minutes followed by rinsing several times, in sterile distilled water.

The cultures were inoculated on MS medium (Murashige and Skoog, 1962) with 2mg/1 2, 4-D and incubated in dark at 27 degree C for callus induction.

Calli were maintained by regular sub-culturing on the same medium after 15 days.

For regeneration, calli were transferred to LS medium after three months and incubated under continuous light for 4 to 5 weeks.

Regenerated plants were hardened in culture solution and grown to maturity in green house along with parents and analysed for inter plant variability affecting seed set, number of grains/panicle and fertility percentage.

Courtesy Business Recorder