Zea mays embryo sacs in culture. I. Plant regeneration from 1 day after pollination embryos

One day after pollination, embryo sacs of Zea mays, containing zygotes and a few endosperm nuclei, were partially isolated and grown in culture. The zygotes underwent normal embryo development, and 40% germinated on a modified Murashige and Skoog medium with 0.1 mg/liter 6-benzylaminopurine. After the appearance of a root and a shoot, individual plantlets were transferred to soil and grown to sexual maturity. The techniques for partial mechanical isolation and successful growth to maturity of such young embryos provide the tools necessary for the recovery of plants from in vitro-fertilized embryo sacs