One step shoot regeneration from callus of whole plant leaf explants of sugarbeet lines and a somaclonal variant for in vitro behavior

Habituated callus was induced on blade explants from leaves of whole sugarbeet plants on a Murashige-Skoog based medium supplemented with 1.0 mg multiplied by l super(-1) BA as the sole growth regulator. Callus first appeared after a lag period of several weeks at 31 degree C in the dark. Callus of at least one plant each from breeding lines C566, FC 607, SP 6926-0, EL 44, and EL 45 regenerated shoots directly without transfer. BA at 1.0 mg multiplied by l super(-1) was optimal for callus induction for the one genotype tested. Smaller less expanded leaves were more responsive than larger leaves from the same plant, and blade explants were superior to petiole explants for callus induction with the more expanded leaves.