Embryo formation and regeneration in Triticum turgidum ssp. durum anther culture

Field grown Moroccan genotypes of durum wheat were tested for their capacity for androgenesis. The cultivar '1726' gave the best results with 25.37% embryos (embryos per 100 anthers) whereas '1715' was the least favorable with 3.17%. Spikes excised in early spring gave the best percentages of embryos. A chemical hybridizing agent (CHA) treatment of donor plants doubled the yield of embryos for almost all genotypes. A thermal pretreatment of spikes at 3 °C for 8 days improved androgenetic capacity. The C17 medium for embryo induction was consistently the best. Two media containing potato extract (BPTG and P2) gave intermediate results and N6 gave the lowest response. The highest percentage regeneration was obtained on C17 medium containing regulatory and amino substances, using embryos about 1 mm in diameter transferred to regeneration medium 21 days after their appearance. Regenerated plants were albino except for two green plants from cultivars 'Marzak' and '1658'. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.