The effects of silver nitrate,colchicine, cupric sulfate and genotype on the production of embryoids from anthers of tetraploid wheat (Triticum turgidum)

Anther culture of four tetraploid wheat (Triticum turgidum) genotypes was studied using ten different culture medium treatments in a randomized block design with four replicates. Each replicate consisted of 2 pots with 3 plants. Anther donor plants were grown in a greenhouse with a 16 h day/8 h night at 25°C and 15°C, respectively. The first treatment which was considered as the control, was potato 2 medium modified by adding 0.5 g l^–1 glutamine and solidified by gelrite (4 g l^–1). The nine test treatments differed from the control by addition of 3 different concentrations of silver nitrate (1, 2.5 and 5 mg l^–1), colchicine (10, 100 and 200 mg l^–1) or cupric sulfate (2,5 and 10 mg l^–1). The study of about 2000 anthers per genotype and treatment showed that both genotype and treatment affected embryoid formation. The presence of cupric sulfate (10 mg l^–1) and silver nitrate (2.5 and 5 mg l^–1) usually increased the frequency of embryoid formation in 3 genotypes out of the 4 studied. On the contrary, colchicine had a significant and enegative effect on anther culture responses for three out of the four genotypes studied. Because of the large genotype x medium interaction, it is very difficult to identify the best medium for embryo production by all genotypes studied.