In direct-seeding cultivation of rice, the emergence and establishment of seedlings are important for determining the actual yield. These traits depend principally upon elongation of both the mesocotyl and coleoptile. Mesocotyl elongation in rice is controlled by several genetic factors and is also affected by environmental factors. In this study, we mapped QTL for mesocotyl elongation using F8 lines from a cross between the cultivated rice, Ilpumbyeo and a weedy rice, PBR. One of the Korean weedy rice, PBR showed the long mesocotyl length than that of cultivars, Ilpumebyeo under soil and agar media conditions. This weedy rice showed long mesocotyl than the elite japonica cultivars. After a phenotyping of 150 F7 lines for mesocotyl length, a subset of 20 lines selected from the two extreme phenotypic tails was used for the bulked segregant analysis. Two QTL were identified on chromosomes 1 and 3. These two QTL were confirmed using 120 F8 lines. Two QTL, qMel-1 and qMel-3 on chromosomes 1 and 3 accounted for 37.3% and 6.5% of the phenotypic variance, respectively. The PBR alleles were associated with an increase in mesocotyl elongation at both loci. It is noteworthy that two QTL for mesocotyl elongation were colocalized with the QTL for mesocotyl length reported in the previous QTL reports. These QTLs can be introgressed into cultivar background using marker assisted backcrossing in an effort to enhance the level of mesocotyl elongation.

Optimum culture conditions for high frequency plant regeneration from leaf explants of Kalanchoe daigremontiana Hamet &Perrier were established. Shoot regeneration was achieved from leaf explant cultures using MS medium supplemented with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and thidiazuron (TDZ) or benzyladenine (BA). Percent regeneration was influenced by plant growth regulators and source of explants. MS medium supplemented with TDZ (1.0 mg/l) and IAA (0.4 mg/l) was the most effective, providing shoot regeneration for 76.7 % of ex vitro leaf explants associated with a high number of shoots per explant (9.5 mean shoots per explant), whereas 100% shoot regeneration associated with 12.4 shoots per explant occurred from in vitro leaf explants on the same medium. Clusters of shoots were multiplied and elongated on MS medium containing several concentrations of BA. MS medium supplemented with 0.25 mg/l BA was proved as the most effective shoot elongation medium. Elongated shoots (2-3 cm) were rooted at 100% on half-strength MS medium. Rooted plantlets were then transferred to potting soil. Regenerated plants were established in the soil with 90% success.