IN VITRO MICROCORM FORMATION IN SAFFRON (CROCUS SATIVUS L.)

In vitro microcorm production has been obtained by culturing leaf segments of saffron on MS medium containing BA (4.0 mg L^-1) + NAA (0.50 mg L^-1) + 9% sucrose. Maximum explant survival was observed when leaf was used as explants source (48.90%) and incubated in MS medium supplemented with BA (1.0 mg L^-1) and 2,4-D (1.0 mg L^-1). Similar results were obtained for establishment as well as for callusing of initiating cultures of leaf explants. Maximum proliferation of established cultures (56.30) was obtained with BAP + NAA (2.0 mg L^-1 + 0.50 mg L^-1). Plant regeneration through somatic embryogenesis using regenerable embryogenic calli was also obtained from leaf explants cultured in MS medium containing 1.0 mg L^-1 and 1.0 mg L^-1 2,4-d. Somatic embryo formation was attained to the tune of 8.66 embryos per culture by using BA+2,4-D (2.25 mg L^-1 + 0.10 mg L^-1) in MS medium. Matured embryos germinated after incubation on MS medium containing 20.0 mg L^-1 of GA3 plus 2.0 mg L^-1 of ABA for five days. An average of 10.82 shoots per explant of proliferated culture was obtained when MS medium was supplemented with BAP (2.0 mg L^-1) + NAA (0.50 mg L^-1).