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EFFECT OF GA₃ ON REGENERATION RESPONSE OF THREE TOMATO CULTIVARS (LYCOPERSICON ESCULENTUM)

AMBER AFROZ¹, ZUBEDA CHAUDHRY², RASHEED KHAN¹, HAMID RASHID^3* AND SABAZ ALI KHAN¹

Abstract: This study was conducted for developing a high frequency regeneration system in short time span using GA₃, as a pre-requisite for the genetic transformation in tomato cultivars. Effects of GA₃ were investigated on regeneration efficiencies and days to maturity of three varieties of tomato Lycopersicon esculentum (using hypocotyls and leaf discs as explant source). 0.5 mg/l Indole acetic acid (IAA) and 0.5-2.5 mg/l of benzyl amino purine (BAP) were used alone or in combination with GA₃ 2mg/l on MS media. Regeneration was significantly higher with different treatments used in combination with GA₃. It was increased from 57.33% to 70% in Avinash, followed by Pusa Ruby 51.66% to 67.22% and from 53.2% to 60% in case of Pant Bahr when hypocotyls were used as explant source. Same trend was followed in case of leaf disc derived regeneration, although it was less pronounced. Regeneration was increased from 68% to 73% in Avinash followed by Pusa Ruby 68.5% to 72.33 %. Inclusion of GA₃ in the media also significantly reduced the days to regeneration (20-25) as against 40-45 days when GA₃ was excluded from media in all three varieties of tomato cultivars.

¹Department of Biochemistry, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad,

²Department of Bioinformatics & Biotechnology, Islamic International University, Islamabad,

³Department of Bioinformatics, Mohammad Ali Jinnah University, Jinnah Avenue Blue Area, Islamabad.