Effect of Fe-EDTA on the Development of Isolated Ovules of Petunia hybrida

Abstract

The present investigation dealt with in vitro the growth of the excised ovules just after fertilization in Petunia hybrida.
Most of these ovules were cultured on a medium composed of inorganic salts, vitamins, glycine, sucrose and agar without any growth regulators or plant extracts. They were able to develop into viable seeds only when cultured on the medium containing Fe-EDTA as an iron source. Some of the seeds germinated in situ immediately and developed until flowering. However, ovules cultured on a medium containing ferric citrate failed to develop into viable seeds.
The addition of some growth regulators to the medium containing Fe-EDTA rather inhibited the normal development of ovules. A supply of casamino acids did not also increase the percentage of normal seedlings; however, the number of normal seedlings increased progressively with decreasing the concentration of sucrose.