media
Androgenesis can be induced in tobacco and a few other species on a simple medium such as that
developed by Nitsch and Nitsch (1969). For most other species, the commonly used media for
anther culture include MS (Murashige and Skoog, 1962), N6 (Chu, 1978), or variations on these
media. In some cases, complex organic compounds, such as potato extract, coconut milk, and casein
hydrolysate, have been added to the media. For many species, 58 to 88 m
M
(2–3%) sucrose is
added to the media, whereas other species, particularly the cereals, have responded better to higher
(up to 435 m
M
or about 15%) concentrations of sucrose. The higher levels of sucrose may fulfill
an osmotic rather than a nutritional requirement. Other sugars, such as ribose, maltose, and glucose,
have been found to be superior to sucrose for some species.
For a few species, such as tobacco, it is not necessary to add plant growth regulators (PGRs)
to the anther culture media. Most species, however, require a low concentration of some form of