The objective of this work was to obtain protoplasts from napier grass and pearl millet triploid hybrids as a basis for future studies on chromosomal duplication. Explants were taken from mesophyll of in vitro- and in vivo-cultured plants or from calli of two triploid hybrids (H1 and H2), which were treated with enzymatic solutions containing different concentrations of cellulase R-10 (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0%) with an additional 0.2% macerozyme and 0.1% driselase or 1.0% pectolyase Y-23 and 0.5% hemicellulase. Enzymatic digestion was monitored once every hour for five hours. Protoplasts were obtained from in vitro and in vivo leaflets of both triploid hybrids, and in vitro leaflets were the best explant sources. The quantity of produced protoplasts varied according to the hybrid, the enzymatic solution and the treatment time.
Pennisetum purpureum; Pennisetum glaucum; In vitro cultivation; Interspecific hybrids; Forage
