In vitro performance of immature embryo-derived callus of two barley cultivars, the amenable cultivar, Golden Promise (GP) and the recalcitrant commercial cultivar, Galena (GL), was tested on fourteen media containing combinations of two auxins, dicamba and 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D) and two cytokinins, 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and zeatin. Generalizations for both cultivars include the fact that callus-induction frequencies on dicamba and 2, 4-D alone and dicamba plus zeatin were nearly 100%. Qualitative appearance for both cultivars was nearly identical on comparable media but markedly better on BAP-containing media. The addition of zeatin with either auxin supported vigorous growth due to the proliferation of nonregenerable callus; the presence of BAP produced higher quality callus although it inhibited the relative growth rate. GP calli grown on 2, 4-D plus 0.01mg/L BAP regenerated the largest number of green shoots at most time points relative to other media, while GL tissue on 2, 4-D plus 0.1mg/L BAP yielded the most green shoots at all but one time point. Over time regenerability was lost more rapidly in GL than GP except on 2, 4-D plus BAP media; GL had a higher propensity toward albinism than GP. In both cultivars, the use of 2, 4-D and BAP yielded tissue that proliferated for prolonged periods in a regenerable state.