Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration of Brachiaria brizantha

Abstract

The genus Brachiaria (Trin.) Griseb. belongs to the family Poaceae, order Poales, class Monocotyledonae. In Brachiaria brizantha (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) Stapf., embryogenic callus can be induced from seeds from apomictic plants, which results in high frequency somatic embryo development and plant regeneration. We report here a detailed protocol for callus induction from apomictic seed; followed by in vitro morphogenesis (somatic embryo and bud differentiation), plant regeneration, and acclimatization in the greenhouse. Important details regarding the positioning of seeds for callus induction and precautions to avoid endophytic contamination and the occurrence of albino plants are presented.