IMPROVED METHOD OF REGENERATION OF BLACK GRAM (VIGNA MUNGO L.) THROUGH LIQUID CULTURE

A very rapid and efficient regeneration method of Vigna mungo L. has been established using liquid culture. A highly regenerable explant, viz., young multiple shoots obtained by germinating the seeds in 2 mg l-1 (8.9 μM) N6-benzyladenine-supplemented Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium, was used as a source of tissue to initiate the liquid culture. The liquid medium consisted of half-strength B5 or MS salts supplemented with MS organics, α-naphthaleneacetic acid (0.1 mg l-1, 0.54 μM) and N6-benzyladenine (0.5 mg l-1, 2.2 μM). Transferring the growing tissues to fresh medium every third day resulted in ca. 142% increase in the number of shoot buds produced after 24 d. Shoot buds elongated on one-third-strength MS (MS1/3) semisolid medium and plantlets were obtained by transferring the shoots onto MS1/3 semisolid medium supplemented with indolebutyric acid (1 mg l-1, 4.9 μM).