Developmental analysis of transformation in legumes

Efforts to improve crop legume germplasm by use of genetic technologies are hampered globally by the lack of an efficient genetic transformation method for most legume species. It was hypothesised that a fundamental investigation of shoot development would provide vital information to improve the transformation outcomes. This research investigated alternative selection methodologies, and used reporter genes to visualise shoot development to overcome the limitations of low frequency and chimerism of transgenic shoots. The results demonstrated that development of a high yielding transformation methodology for pulse legume crops is achievable and applicable to other legume species that are recalcitrant to transformation.