The percentage of embryogenic cotyledons and the number of embryos per embryogenic cotyledon were recorded at the end of the second subculture. The results showed that the highest percentage of embryogenesis ranged from 40% to 70% and the number of embryos per embryogenic cotyledon varied from to among the cultivars. | Turk J Agric For 31 (2007) 175-179 © TÜB‹TAK Somatic Embryogenesis from Immature Cotyledons of Some European Chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) Cultivars Bekir fiAN1, Mehmet SEZG‹N2, Hatice DUMANO⁄LU3,*, A. ‹lhami KÖKSAL3 1 Süleyman Demirel University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Horticulture, Isparta - TURKEY 2 Ankara University, Faculty of Forestry Çank›r› - TURKEY 3 Ankara University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Horticulture, 06110 Ankara - TURKEY Received: Abstract: In 4 European chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) cultivars (‘Hac›ibifl’, ‘Karamehmet’, ‘Osmano¤lu’ and ‘Sar›afllama’), somatic embryogenesis from immature cotyledons of open-pollinated seeds collected 5, 6, 7, and 8 weeks after anthesis and cultured on Driver and Kuniyuki walnut (DKW) medium was determined in this study. The percentage of embryogenic cotyledons and the number of embryos per embryogenic cotyledon were recorded at the end of the second subculture. The results showed that the highest percentage of embryogenesis ranged from 40% to 70% and the number of embryos per embryogenic cotyledon varied from to among the cultivars. Cotyledons collected 5, 6, and 7 weeks after anthesis were the most embryogenic. Key Words: Chestnut, Castanea sativa Mill., somatic embryogenesis Baz› Avrupa Kestane (Castanea sativa Mill.) Çeflitlerinde Olgunlaflmam›fl Kotiledonlardan Somatik Embriyogenesis Özet: Bu çal›flmada, dört Avrupa kestane (Castanea sativa Mill.) çeflidinde (Hac›ibifl, Karamehmet, Osmano¤lu ve Sar›afllama) tam çiçeklenmeden 5, 6, 7 ve 8 hafta sonra toplanan ve Driver ve Kuniyuki ceviz (DKW) ortam›nda kültüre al›nan serbest tozlanm›fl tohumlar›n olgunlaflmam›fl kotiledonlar›nda somatik embriyogenesis belirlenmifltir. Embriyogenik kotiledon yüzdesi ve embriyogenik kotiledon bafl›na embriyo say›s› ikinci alt kültürün sonunda kaydedilmifltir. Sonuçlar, çeflitlere göre embriyogenesis oran›n›n % 4070 ve embriyogenik kotiledon bafl›na embriyo say›s›n›n aras›nda .
