Abstract

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is one of the high biomass crops for alternative fuels and forage. In this study, the somatic embryogenesis and shoot regeneration ability of upland switchgrass cultivars Pathfinder, Forestburg, Trailblazer, and Shawnee were investigated. Friable type II calli were induced from the mature sterile seeds on callus induction medium based on Murashige and Skoog (MS) salts and Gamborg B5 vitamins supplemented with 300 mg/l casein hydrolysate, 500 mg/l L-proline, 3 mg/l 2,4 dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 0, 2 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine. The greatest number of plantlets was obtained on auxin free MS medium with 2 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine, 1 mg/l kinetin and 1 mg/lgibberellic acid. The present results demonstrate an efficient tissue culture system for upland switchgrass cultivars that can be used for the production of transgenic plants.