Plant Regeneration from Anther-derived Embryos of Apple and Pear

Anthers of six apple [ Malus × domestica (L.) Borkh.], three Japanese pear ( Pyrus pyrifolia N.) and two European pear ( Pyrus communis L.) scion cultivars were cultured. Callus formation occurred from anthers of all cultivars and androgenic embryogenesis was observed from all except P. pyrifolia `Kosui' and P. communis `La France'. Regeneration of adventitious shoots from anther-derived embryos was shown from all apple cultivars and P. pyrifolia `Shinko'. Many of these shoots did not grow or died on half-strength Murashige and Skoog medium (1962) with 4.4 μ m BA and 0.5 μ m IBA, whereas several shoots of apple `Starking Delicious' grew to plantlets. Chromosome counts of shoot apical cells of four clones derived from embryos of `Starking Delicious' showed that three clones were diploids and one clone comprised diploid and haploid shoots, suggesting that at least one clone originated from a microspore. Chemical names used: 3-indolyl-butyric acid (IBA); N 6 -benzyladenine (BA).