Effects of concentration of inorganic nitrogen, KNO₃ and/or NH₄NO₃ on growth of embryos in vitro in Petunia hybrida

Abstract

In vitro culture of just fertilized ovules with placenta of P. hybrida, W166H× K146BH (each of clone is of self-incompatible), was conducted on some inorganic nutrient medium. Normal and abnormal seedlings developed from ovules with placenta at the stage of just fertilized ovules on MURASHIGE and SKOOG′s inorganic medium containing large quantities of KNO₃ and NH₄NO₃, but no seedlings on other inorganic media.
To obtain many normal seedlings, effects of concentration of inorganic nitrogen KNO₃ and/or NH₄-NO₃ on the growth of ovules were examined on NITSCH′s nutrient medium. The medium of NITSCH′s nutrient plus KNO₃ 500ppm and NH₄NO₃ 80ppm was better for growth of embryo than other media containing high nitrogen salts added to NITSCH′s nutrient medium.
In conclusion, there were combined effects of NO₃-N and NH₄-N on the growth and development in vitro of P. hybrida embryo. Nitrogen salt solution for better growth was in a concentration of 12 mM and in ratio of NO₃-N to NH₄-N in molar unit of 11:1.