Role of Proline as Coadjutant on Direct Regeneration of Citrus Rootstock Rough Lemon (Citrus jambhiri Lush.)

At present, about 61 per cent area of fruit crops in the Punjab state is occupied by Kinnow mandarin which is mainly propagated on rough lemon rootstock. Polyembryony, sterility, poor viability of hybrid seeds, unknown mode of inheritance and long juvenility present major problems in citrus improvement through conventional breeding programme. Tissue culture and biotechnological methods provide fast improvement to a particular crop and their success rests upon the reproducible and efficient regeneration protocols. The experiment carried out on effect of proline on tissue culture aspects of rough lemon (Citrus jambhiri) revealed that proline might have reduced the effect of NAA and can replace ABA in direct regeneration of citrus rootstock rough lemon.