Influence of nutrient media on callus induction, somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration in selected Turkish crocus species

•Crocus is a medicinally important plant and it is costliest spice of the world.•An efficient microprapogation protocol of five Turkish Crocus species was developed.•Crocus species: C. specious ssp. Specious, C. oliveri spp. Oliveri, C. pestalozzae, C. abantensis, and C. paschei..•Different combinations and concentrations of auxins and cytokinins were used.•Plant regeneration was developed via somatic embryogenesis.

Callus induction, somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration were initiated in selected five species of Turkish crocus using three diffrent explants (leaf, stem and corm) cultured on four different media (MS, GB5, LS and CHE). The highest frequencies of callus induction (100%) and shoot regeneration (70%, with 7.2 shoots/callus) were found in the crocus species Crocus oliveri ssp. Oliveri, using the MS medium containing 5% (w/v) sucrose supplemented with (4 mg/L NAA + 4 mg/L TDZ) and (2 mg/L IAA + 2 mg/L TDZ + 2 mg/L BAP). When the embryogenic calli were transferred into the four nutrient media containing (2 mg/L IAA + 2 mg/L TDZ) and 100 mg/L ABA, these further developed into cotyledonary embryos. Maximum number of somatic embryos (2.9 embryos per leaf explant, with a frequency 46.6%) was obtained in C. oliveri ssp. Oliveri. During subculture using the half strength media, cotyledonary embryos gradually developed into plantlets.