Preliminary study on the tolerance of two wheat varieties of Triticum aestivum L. to the crude oil at the whole and cellular level

In an attempt to enhance crude oil tolerance in tissue cultures and intact plants of Triticum aestivum L., several experiments were carried out. Callus was induced using embryos isolated from the seeds of the two wheat varieties (Abu Ghraib-3 and Dijila) which were used as explants. Callus was induced and maintained on Murashige and Skoog, 1962 medium (MS) supplemented with (0.5) mg/l kinetin and (2) mg/l 2,4-D. Crude oil was added to the culture medium at different concentrations as a contaminating agent. Results showed that callus fresh weight for both varieties decreased with increasing crude oil concentrations to (590.4, 442.8, 485.7, 288.0, 200.2 and 102.8)mg for Abu Ghraib-3 and (614.7, 4590.0, 434.7, 300.6, 230.2 and 110)mg for Dijila at crude oil concentrations (0, 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10)% in the culture medium respectively. Cells that survived on different concentrations of crude oil for the two wheat varieties were subcultured on oil free MS medium for maintenance. Then they were recultured on MS medium containing different concentrations of crude oil.