Summary
Dormant grape somatic embryos from five genetically distinct culture lines were subjected either to dehydration or exogenous growth regulators (benzyladenine, gibberellin or abscisic acid). Of growth regulator treatments tested, benzyladenine resulted in the highest germination rate but postgermination growth was abnormal. Abscisic acid treatment resulted in the least germination. Dehydration for 21 d under 75–95% relative humidity was effective only for the culture line that produced well developed embryos. However, for this line, more embryos produced shoots after dehydration (34%) when compared to growth regulator treatments and the postgermination growth resembled that of a seedling. Moisture content of dehydrated somatic embryos was similar to that of seed at equivalent relative humidities. Because dehydrated embryos germinate after addition of water, they are considered to be quiescent or nondormant. Plant recovery rates of 34% after 21 d of dehydrated storage at 70% relative humidity suggests that dehydration of somatic embryos may eventually provide for the conservation of clonally propagated crops in seed gene banks.
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Plant Editors note: Proceedings from a special symposium entitled “Synthetic Seeds” presented at the 39th annual meeting of the Tissue Culture Association, Las Vegas, Nevada on June 16, 1988. Associate Editor Keith Redenbaugh organized the symposium and handled reviews of the manuscripts.
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Gray, D.J. Effects of dehydration and exogenous growth regulators on dormancy, quiescence and germination of grape somatic embryos. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol 25, 1173–1178 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02621270
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02621270