Plant Regeneration, Somaclonal Variation and Resistance to Late-blight in Tomato

Abstract

Genotypes were quantitatively different in shoot and rot-forming capacity from cotyledon and hypocotyl explants. Tomato genotypes LA 1623, LA1456, LA1546 and FMX-93 had a higher frequency of shoot regeneration and root formation the Nova and Rockingham. Shoot formation by cotyledon explants was found to be superior to shoot formation by hypocotyl explants in all genotypes except LA 1546 in which the hypocotyl was superior in producing shoots. Somaclonal variation with altered leaf shape, plant height and seedling viability were noted in the R 1 generation, with increased and decrease resistance to late-blight in mutants.