Somatic Tissue Culture of Tomato Plant

Abstract

The commercial tomato cultivars Sida and P502 were used as sources of explant for somatic tissue culture studies. Explant tissues from leaf, stem, epicotyl and hypocotyl were selected in the testes of regeneration of plant. Responses of both tomato cultivars in tissue culture conditions were smimilar. Leaf tissue was the best for the stimulation of production of desirable calluses, followed by tissue from the stem epicotyl and hypocotyl, respectively. The medium most generally suitable for inducing callus formation for all explant tissues was the MS medium supplemented with NAA 0.05 mg/l and BAP 0.5 mg/l. the calluses were transfered to MS medium contraining NAA 0.5 mg/l and BAP 5.0 mg/l or NAA 0.1 mg/l and 2iP 5.0 mg/l to induce shoot proliferation. Shoot buds were formed on both media but fewer roots were formed in BAP supplemented medium. Stimulation of root development was subsequently obtained by transferring the plantles to MS medium supplemented with NAA-0.001 mg/l and BAP 0.0005 mg/l; alternatively, hormone free MS medium was able to be used, depending upon the plantlet apperance. The time required for the whole regeneration process using tissue explants from leaf, stem and epicotyl, was between 6 and 12 weeks. However, regeneration of the plant using hypocotyl tissue, was more difficult. In most cases, the tissue from hypocoty1 produced calluses that were firm and brown in color with many roots; however very few shoot buds developed, and these only after a long period of time.