Fertile Plants Regenerated from Protoplasts of Cold Tolerant Rice Line RCPL 1–2C

We report plant regeneration from suspension protoplasts of an advance breeding line suitable for high altitude areas of North-Eastern Hill of India. Protoplasts were cultured in liquid and low density agarose in presence as well as absence of nurse. Higher frequency of division and plant regeneration were obtained from the protoplasts cultured in presence of nurse. In contrast, only some colonies were recovered from the protoplasts cultured in absence of nurse. Frequency of plant regeneration from these calli was also very low. Use of nurse was therefore, critical in obtaining sustained division in the protoplasts. So far, 115 plants have been regenerated from ten independent experiments and twelve of them have flowerd and set seeds.