In vitro REGENERATION OF CHICKPEA (Cicer arietinum L.)

A protocol was developed for shoot multiplication and regeneration for chickpea (Cicer arietnum L.). Three varieties (Hudas, FLIP03-147C and FLIP05-100C) and two landraces ("Ein -Elbyda" and "Baladi") were used in this study. For multiplication experiments, shoots tips of about 2 cm length from in vitro establishment seedlings of "Ein-Elbyda" and "Baladi" landraces were used. Explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplied with 0.0, 2.2 and4.4 µM benzyl adenine (BA), or 0.0, 9.2 and 18.4 µM Kinetin, both cytokinins were combined with 0.0 or 2.7 µM naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). The highest shoot number (9.7, 6.6) was obtained at media supplied only with 2.2 µM BA for both landraces. Lower shoot number (5.3 and 4.5) was obtained at media supplied with 9.2 µM kinetin in both "Baladi" and "Ein-Elbyda" respectively. For regeneration experiments, leaf and stem, of all tested varieties and landraces were used. Explants were cultured on MS media supplied with different levels of NAA and N-1,2,3-Thiadiazol-5-yl-N-phenylurea (TDZ). Shoot regeneration from leaf explants was obtained on MS basal medium supplemented with TDZ at 1 and 2 µM in both landraces with 50 and 43% shoot regeneration for both "Baladi" and "Ein-Elbyda", respectively. Variation in regeneration ability among tested varieties was clear, the highest shoot percent (66.7%) was obtained at 1 µM TDZ with Hudas varietiy, other varieties exhibited lower regeneration percentages.