ARTIFICIAL SEED TECHNOLOGY IN THE ORNAMENTAL SPECIES LISIANTHUS AND GENISTA

The use of encapsulated somatic embryos (artificial seeds) is valuable when propagation by true seed is difficult or when current clonal propagation techniques are too laborious or expensive.
The major obstacles for the development of synthetic seed technology are the low somatic embryos germination rates and their low conversion into plants.

The preliminary results of several in vitro germination trials of Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) encapsulated somatic embryos showed an improvement of shoot emergence in the presence of 0.5 mg/l of zeatin mixed with the alginate coat.
The absence of light in the first 30 days from encapsulation was also important to increase germination.
Desiccation and encapsulation treatments in Genista monosperma Lam. made worse results respect to the controls even if treated with ABA. More attention must be paid to the use of abscissic acid with the aim to prevent the dehydration stress.

International Symposium on Agrotechnics and Storage of Vegetable and Ornamental Seeds

B. Ruffoni, F. Massabò, A. Giovannini

Somatic embryos, Zeatin, abscissic acid, desiccation, Eustoma grandiflorum, Genista monosperma

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1994.362.36