SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS AND CRYOPRESERVATION OF ORNAMENTAL PICEA SPECIES: MODERN METHODS OF PROPAGATION AND LONG-TERM STORAGE

Experiments on somatic embryogenesis were carried out on four spruce species (Picea abies, P. breweriana, P. omorika and P. pungens ‘Glauca’) to determine if this micropropagation method enables production of somatic seedlings of ornamental spruces for nurseries.
High frequencies of embryogenic tissue induction were obtained from mature zygotic embryos as explants.
The induction rates ranged from 10.8% (P. breweriana) to 23.8% (P. omorika, P. pungens ‘Glauca’). The experiments resulted in production of somatic embryos and then somatic plantlets of P. abies and P. omorika. Two-year-old embryogenic tissue of P. omorika was also successfully cryopreserved basing on the vitrification method: pretreatment for one week on ½ LM medium with 0.25-1.00 M sucrose, followed by 2-h air-drying over silica gel at 25C (to a water content of 20%), and then frozen rapidly.
Embryogenic tissue regrowth started 7-14 days after recovery from liquid nitrogen.
High survival rates of embryogenic tissue clumps were obtained after this cryopreservation method (99%). Results indicate that somatic embryogenesis combined with cryopreservation may be a useful method for in vitro propagation of ornamental spruces for large-scale nursery production.

XXVIII International Horticultural Congress on Science and Horticulture for People (IHC2010): International Symposium on Advances in Ornamentals, Landscape and Urban Horticulture

T. Hazubska-Przybył , K. Bojarczuk, P. Chmielarz , M. Michalak

spruce, micropropagation, embryogenic tissue, cryopreservation, abscisic acid, somatic embryos, acclimation

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2012.937.88