Vegetos

Abstract

In vitro regeneration of cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicon Mill.) is important for further improvement via genetic manipulation. Plant tissue culture is a key facilitator component in genetic transformations using Agrobacterium tumefaciens, electroporation and particle bombardment. Genotypic differences have been reported by many but no work on heterosis for shoot regeneration under plant tissue culture system has been reported so far. Therefore, the present study reported for the first time the heterosis for adventitious shoot regeneration. Heterotic effects of tomato hybrids viz. TH802 and TH2312 along with their respective parents i.e. Haelani × Accession-2 and VFN-8 × Punjab chuhara were estimated on adventitious shoot regeneration using different gelling agents (agar, isabgol and sago starch) under in vitro conditions. The results revealed 11.5%, 8% and 15.1% mid parent heterosis and 2.4%, 3.1% and -6.1% better parent heterosis in tomato hybrid TH802 where as in tomato hybrid TH2312, 1.7%, 3.9% and -1.7% mid parent heterosis and 0%, 1.3% and - 7.3% better parent heterosis was recorded in terms of shoot multiplication with MS medium supplemented with 2 mg/l BAP gelled with agar, isabgol and sago starch respectively. Rooting was induced in all the genotypes on MS basal medium and the results revealed 38.4% mid parent and 17.6% better parent heterosis in hybrid TH802 and 1.2% and 11.4% mid parent and better parent heterosis in hybrid TH2312 was recorded. Thus superior performance of hybrids can be extended under In vitro conditions in terms of maximum shoot multiplication rate using isabgol as gelling agent.