PLANTLET REGENERATION FROM ENCAPSULATED SOMATIC EMBRYOS OF HYBRID SOLANUM-MELONGENA L

High frequency somatic embryogenesis was induced from leaf explants of F1 hybrid Solanum melongena L. on Murashige and Skoog's medium supplemented with 8.0 mg/l NAA and 0.1 mg/l Kn. The somatic embryos were encapsulated in various concentrations (2-6%) of sodium alginate and complexed with calcium chloride (25-100mM) : 3% sodium alginate and 75 mM calcium chloride were found to be optimal for encapsulation. The encapsulated somatic embryos were transferred to various conversion media in vitro and in vivo. The frequency of plantlet regeneration varied from 27.0-49.7% in vitro and 2.0-4.5% in vivo.