Efficient plant regeneration from cotyledonary node explants of <i>Cucumis melo</i> L.

Abstract

An efficient regeneration system was developed using cotyledonary node of two inbred line of melon, Cucumis melo 'CM-15' and 'CM-23'. The induction of shoots was achieved on Murashige and Skoog (MS) solid medium supplemented with different combinations of 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) and indole- 3-acetic acid (IAA). The best shoot induction was observed when the explants were cultured on MS medium supplemented with BA (1.5 mg/L) and IAA (0.1 mg/L), and on MS medium supplemented with BA (1.5 mg/L) and IAA (0.5 mg/L) for 'CM-15' and 'CM-23', and inbred line CM-15 had the best regeneration rate. The shoot clumps were transferred to MS with BA (0.05 mg/L), resulting to the differentiation of most of the shoots initially into well developed shoots. Regenerated shoots were rooted on half-strength MS medium without plant growth regulators (PGRs). The rooted plants were established in soil with 100% success rate. This high frequency plant regeneration system provides improved technology to assist in genetic transformation of melon.

Key words: Cucumis Melo L., cotyledonary node, shoots regeneration, plant regeneration.