Micropropagation of Miscanthus x giganteus (Greef & Deu.) from inflorescence explants

2 mm explants of immature inflorescences (0,5-3 cm) produced calluses on MS medium with 0,5 mg x M BAP and 2,5 mg x M 2,4-D. The surface sterilization in 10% sodium hypochloride for 20 min was successful in 74%. After 20 days of incubation, the surfaces of all explants were covered by callus. After 2 months of culture, from most of calluses embryo-like structures developed. The highest frequency of fully regenerated plants was observed on MS medium supplemented with 1-2 mg X |-> BAP. The regeneration rate of the cultured calluses for the first two weeks in 16 h day fotoperiod was twice as high as the one under a continuous light. Only two out of 6 thousand cultured mature spikelets produced calluses from which 574 plants were obtained after multiplication. Most of the plants obtained from the explants representing immature as mature inflorescences survived the transfer into soil in the greenhouses.