Plant regeneration from gell suspension protoplasts of Festuca arundinacea Schreb., Lolium perenne L. and L. multiflorum Lam.

A prerequisite for the use of many genetic manipulation techniques is the ability to regenerate plants from protoplasts, but in the cereals and grasses, plants have been regenerated in this way in only six species (1). Of these, only Oryza (2,3,4,5,6) and Saccharum (7) have been successfully transferred to soil. In vitro plants of three forage grasses: Festuca arundinacea (tall fescue), Loliurn perenne (perennial ryegrass) and L.multiflorum (Italian ryegrass), have now been regenerated from protoplast-derived cell colonies and green Festuca and L.multiflorum plants established in soil (8).