In-Vitro Differentation and Transformation of Flite Basmati Rice Varieties

Abstract

Rice is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's population. Its production needs increase to meet the predicted demands of increasing population. Biotechnology provides a novel approach for rice improvement through transformation "technique. Studies related to the In-vitro culture of plant require a basic protocol for callus induction and subsequent plant regeneration. Efficient callus induction and plant regeneration are pre-requisite for transformation. In the present study, an efficient callus induction and regeneration system was established for basmati rice varieties viz. Basmati-370, Pusa Sugandha-4, Vallabh Basmati-22 and Taroari. A number of factors such as media composition, different concentrations and combinations of hormones were studied. MS media supplemented with 2.0 mg/1 of 2, 4-D produced the most desired calli. The callus induction frequency was found to be highest for Pusa Sugandha-4 while Basmati-370 showed the highest regeneration frequency. The calli derived from seed scutellum of two Basmati rice varieties i.e. B-370 and PS-4 were used for transformation by Agrobacterium strain EHA 105 harboring pCAMBIA 1305 with GUS and hpt genes for studying the transformation efficiency.