The Growth in Culture of Detached Ovaries of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em. Thell)

Viable embryos have been recovered from fertilized wheat (Triticum aestivum) ovaries detached on the day of, or up to 7 days post-, anthesis and cultured aseptically fur up to 18 days. The most significant factors in determining the yield of embryos was the plating density, age and complexity of the explants. 26% of ovaries excised on the day of anthesis produced viable embryos if cultured as pairs of florets. The potential use of detached ovary cultures in gametophyte microinjection experiments, rescuing embryos from wide crosses and in chemically manipulating the early stages of embryo development are discussed.