Correlation of cotyledonary node shoot proliferation and somatic embryoid development in suspension cultures of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.).

Suspension cultures of soybean were initiated from hypocotyl or cotyledon callus tissue of several soybean genotypes. When these were grown on L2 medium with 0.4 mg/liter 2,4-D several genotypes produced numerous embryoids while others produced only a few such structures. Due to internal anatomy, no embryoid developed into a complete plant. A genotype's propensity to form normal appearing embryoids was correlated with the ability to proliferate shoots at the cotyledonary node on a medium with benzylaminopurine as determined in previous testing.