REGENERATION RESPONSE OF GLADIOLUS

Gladiolus Cultivar Friendship is highly susceptible to soil born Fungus Fusarium oxysporum. Highly resistant cell-lines were regenerated through in-vitro selection at callus and cell suspension level. Cell suspensions of all four Gladiolus cultivars were found highly sensitive to fusaric acid. Gradual increase in fusaric acid concentrations to the cell-suspension cultures decreased cell growth considerably. The cormlets of all in-vitro selected cell lines of "Friendship" were inoculated with a conidial suspension of the F. oxysporum. The four selected cell lines showed the same response whether or not inoculated with conidia of the F. oxysporum. Plantlets of all of the selected cell lines exhibited significant growth as compared with control. RAPD markers were used to estimate genetic diversity among the selected Fusarium resistant cell-lines. Marker data was generated through three successive generations. The number of fragments per primer ranged from 4 to 10. The total size of the amplified products varied from 200bp to 1800bp. All the primers were found to be polymorphic and produced upto 62% polymorphism.