Tissue-culture investigations into mechanisms of biomass enhancement. Annual report, June 1984-July 1985
The cost effectiveness of biogas production can be considerably improved by producing cultivars of sorghum and Napier grass with increased biomass and tolerance to common soil stresses such as salinity and drought. In addition, increased fertilizer efficiency of plants used for biomass is also desired. Tissue-culture methodologies provide a means for generating improved sorghum and Napier grass cultivars and for selecting cells and plants with tolerance to salinity, drought, and low levels of applied nitrogen fertilizer. To this end, tissue cultures of sorghum and Napier grass were established. Media were devised to enhance high-frequency, long-term plant production from these cultures. Existing methods were considerably improved and the first plant regeneration techniques from callus cultures of sweet sorghum were devised. Over 1000 plants were regenerated from callus cultures during the first year. These are being used in biomass production assays. Tissue culture selection for salt tolerance has been initiated using high levels of NaCl or hydroxyproline in the medium. Sodium chloride stress represents direct selection; hydroxyproline stress selects cells with increased levels of proline, an amino acid known to be associated with salt tolerance. Selection for cell variants efficient in reducing nitrate are planned; cells will be grown in the presence of chlorate, a nitrate analogue. Selections are carried out on either solid or liquid media. Cell suspension systems, allowing more efficient selection, are being developed for all cultivars under study.
- Research Organization:
- Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins (USA). Dept. of Botany and Plant Pathology
- OSTI ID:
- 6102446
- Report Number(s):
- PB-86-132818/XAB
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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