Patent ID: 6995016

Claim:
A process for inducing direct somatic embryogenesis in Pooideae and rapidly regenerating fertile plants, comprising the steps of: a) culturing isolated immature scutella cells of Pooideae in or on a culture medium comprising auxin, cytokinin and polyamine in amounts effective to cause direct formation of primary embryos without an intervening callus stage, at least until at least one primary embryo reaches the globular developmental stage, the auxin being present in greater proportion than the cytokinin; and one of the following steps selected from: b) culturing one or more of the primary embryos from step (a) under conditions conducive to regeneration of plantlets from the primary embryos, and culturing the primary embryo in or on a regeneration medium; or c) culturing one or more of the primary embryos at the globular developmental stage and no longer than the coleoptilar stage from step (a) in or on a culture medium comprising auxin, cytokinin, and polyamine in amounts effective to cause induction of secondary embryo formation, at least until secondary embryogenesis is detected, the cytokinin beina present in greater proportion than the auxin, and culturing one or more of the secondary embryos under conditions conducive to regeneration of plantlets from the secondary embryos.