Determination of genetic stability using isozymes and RFLPs in beet plants regenerated in vitro.

Sugar, fodder and garden beet (Beta vulgaris L.) plants have been regenerated in culture from a range of expiant material. Of the regenerants 764 were subjected to isozyme analysis using eight enzyme-specific stains, and 60 were subjected to RFLP analysis using three cDNA probes. Both molecular techniques allowed the identification of somaclonal variant plants. Assessment of the numbers of variant isozymes and restriction fragments has allowed the calculation of the approximate percentage of variant alleles occurring in any one somaclonal regenerant, namely between 0.05% and 0.1%.