Anther culture of sunflower cultivars

Abstract

Anthers of six sunflower cultivars in the stage of uninucleate microspores were placed on six different culture media. Media were supplemented with basic MS (Murashige and Skoog 1962) macro and micro salts, 30 g l-1 sucrose, 0.3% gelrite, pH 5.7, while composition of vitamins varied. Two media were supplemented with 1 mg l-1 AgNO3, and other two with 0.1% polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) (Zhong et al. 1995). Media were supplemented either with 2.2 mg l-1 BAP and 0.01 mg l –1 NAA or with 0.5 mg l-1 each of BAP and NAA. Anthers were cultured in the dark at 30oC. In contrast to PVP, silver nitrate was found to have a positive effect on intensity of organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis of sunflower anthers.