Abstract

This study reports a protocol for plant regeneration from cultured explants of chickpea Cicer arietinum L. via direct organogenesis using decapitated embryonic axes explants. Morphologically normal healthy plants were regenerated directly without an intervening callus phase from the explants. Explants prepared from overnight soaked seeds were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium fortified with different concentrations of benzylaminopurine (BAP), indolbutyric acid (IBA) and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). The type and concentration of plant growth regulators influenced the frequency of multiple shoot regeneration. 2 mg/L BAP and 0.05mg/L IBA was the most effective combination for high frequency multiple shoot induction. Individual shoots produced were aseptically excised and sub cultured in the media fortified with 1 mg/L GA3 for shoot elongation. The elongated shoots were grafted on the rootstocks prepared from the seeds of the same cultivar.