In vitro regeneration techniques in the grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) plant

Abstract

The Lathyrus genus is in the legumes family with annual or perennial species number of 160. There are 58 species naturally grown in Turkey, 18 of them are endemic. In Rize province, 8 species were identified, 2 of them were endemic. In the world, Lathyrus species are evaluated in the animal feed as green grass, hay and grain feed, fertilization of soil as a green manure plant and human nutrition as food grain legume plant. The cultivation of Lathyrus species are very rare in our country and are generally used in animal feeding and in small quantities in human nutrition. Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) plant is the most used species in the world, because it is resistant to adverse soil conditions, drought and flooding. Various tissue culture methods are used to develop and reproduce this species. Plant tissue culture is being applied both in the development of new varieties and genetic changes in existing varieties, and in the production of species which are difficult to reproduce and protect of the disappearing species. The basic system used in plant tissue culture processes and genetic improvements is plant regeneration. In this review, some studies related to the in vitro regeneration techniques of the grass pea plants have been put together and the techniques used in regeneration have been evaluated.