Somatic Hybrids between the Forage LegumesLotus corniculatusL. andL. tenuisWaldst et Kit

Abstract

A cell suspension of Lotus tenuis was established, as a source of protoplasts, from kanamycin resistant callus derived from roots transformed by Agrobacterium rhizogenes LBA9402 (pRil855-pBinl9). Such protoplasts were treated with a sublethal dose of sodium iodoacetate prior to their electrofusion with green cotyledon protoplasts of L. corniculatus. Putative somatic hybrid colonies were selected on medium containing kanamycin sulphate. The hybridity of plants regenerated from these selected colonies was confirmed by their morphology, esterase banding patterns, the presence of condensed tannins in leaves and stems, and chromosome complements. The latter approximated to the expected allohexaploid number of 2n = 6x = 36.