Aseptic Culture of Soybean and Peanut Embryonic Axes to Improve Phytosanitation of Plant Introductions

Abstract

In Aug. 1972-Nov. 1973, seeds of 2 cultivars of soyabean and 11 of groundnut contaminated with fungi and bacteria were grown by placing embryonic axes on artificial media. Of the 4 media tested, Knop agar was the most successful, but about 25% of the plantlets failed to survive transplanting to sand/peat/soil mixture. All plants initiated from embryonic axes showed negative indexing for viruses against several routine indicator plants and were grown to maturity when seeds were disease-free. It is suggested that this technique will make previously unacceptable soyabean cultivars available for crop improvement programmes in E. Africa.