Embryo rescue inVicia faba andVicia narbonensis

Abstract

Embryo rescue in twoVicia faba L. cultivars (‘Polycarpe’ and ‘A-107’) and oneV. narbonensis L. population (A-202) was studied under a 22 ± 2°C/ 16 ± 1° day/night temperature regime. Very young ovules (1.0–1.8 mm long) cultured, in-ovule, on five liquid media remained green for a longer period of time on modified B5, modified Murashige and Skoog and modified Beasley and Ting media than on modified Phillips and Collins and modified Bourgin and Nitsch media. However, no embryo growth or embryo germination was observed. In-ovule culture of older ovules, 6 and 8 days forV. narbonensis and 10 and 14 days forV. faba, on modified B5 liquid medium allowed 6-day-oldV. narbonensis and 14-day-oldV. faba embryos to be rescued. Finally, culture of whole pods of the two species resulted in the rescue of even younger embryos. Thus, plantlets were obtained from as young as 4-day-oldV. narbonensis pods and 11-day-oldV. faba pods.