pnut pnut Peanut Science 0095-3679 0095-3679 American Peanut Research and Education Society 10.3146/i0095-3679-19-2-4 Articles In Vitro Culture of Arachis hypogaea Peg Tips1 Tallury P. S. Rau 2, H. T. Stalker 2, *, H. E. Pattee 3, and P. Reece 2 Research Assistant and Professor of Crop Science and former Research Assistant of Crop Science, North Carolina State University, Box 7629, Raleigh, NC 27695–7629 Research Chemist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Department of Botany, North Carolina State University, Box 7625, Raleigh, NC 27695–7625

1The research reported in this publication was a cooperative effort of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service and the Agricultural Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, Raleigh, NC 27695–7643. Partial funding was received from the Peanut CRSP, USAID grant number DAN-4048-G-SS-2065–00. Recommendations neither represent an official position nor policy of the NCARS, USDA-ARS, or USAID.

 *Corresponding author. 7 1992 19 2 78 82 American Peanut Research and Education Society 1992 American Peanut Research and Education Society Abstract

Arachis hypogaea L. cv. NC 4 was used as a model plant system in an effort to develop an in vitro embryo rescue protocol which could have application to interspecific hybrid embryos, which often abort at very early growth stages. Embryo growth and development was studied in 1- to 4-day-old peg tips containing proembryos equivalent to a stage where many interspecific hybrid embryos abort. Three independent experiments were conducted to 1) determine the most favorable basal media, 2) evaluate the effects of auxins and cytokinins on growth, and 3) determine a favorable combination of auxins and cytokinins for in vitro peanut embryo growth. The results indicated that MS (Murashige and Skoog) medium with 3% sucrose was the most favorable basal medium among seven media and two sucrose concentrations analyzed. IAA (indole-3-acetic acid) at 1.5 mg L-1 in combination with a range of KN (kinetin) levels from 0.5 to 1.25 mg L-1 were the growth regulator combinations of choice. Proembryo growth reached the multicellular globular stage, but differentiation into heart-shaped embryos did not occur.

 Key Words Peanut; , growth regulators; , embryo culture; , interspecific hybrids