Abstract

TISSUE CULTURE STUDIES IN VIGNA UNGICULATA L

A. Srujana* and J. Naga Lakshmi

Abstract

Cowpea is a dicotyledonous plant belonging to the family Fabaceae and sub-family, Fabiodeae. Cowpea is often called as "black-eyed pea" due to its black- or brown- ringed hylum. Vigna is a nutritious source of food, its grains contain about 25% Protein, especially rich in folate, potassium, iron, magnesium and the essential amino acids lysine and tryptophan. It is also used as animal fodder, cover crop and green manure. Cowpea is often called as "black-eyed pea" due to its black- or brown-ringed hylum. Vigna originated in West Africa India, Nigeria accounts for 70% of the world‟s production of cowpea beans. The plant tissue culture is also proving to be rich and novel sources of variability with a great potential in crop improvement without restoring to mutation or hybridization. The plant with long seed dormancy can be raised faster by in vitro clonal propagation. In the present study shooting was initiated from nodal and shoot tip explants on MS medium containing BAP alone used as phytoharmone source. Rooting in the form of organogenesis was obtained from leaf explants in the presence of NAA alone as phytoharmone.

Keywords: Phytoharmone, Clonal propagation, Organogenesis, Mutation, Hybridization.