Encapsulation of gladioli and bananas somatic embryos

Authors:

• Barbara Stefaniak,
• Katarzyna Mijal

Abstract

The procedure of artificial seeds production from somatic embryos and also from other meristematic structures (e.g. shoot tips, axillary buds) is considered to be applicable to micropropagation of several ornamental and food crops. The aim of this work was to test encapsulation technique for the preparation of artificial seeds of Gladiolus hort. and Musa acuminata. In this paper the results are reported concerning the encapsulation of embryogenic callus and somatic embryos of both investigated crops. Small pieces of embryogenic callus and single globular somatic embryos were isolated individually with a forceps and dipped for 5 s in 2% or 3% of sodium alginate prepared in sterile water. Then they were individually transferred with a pipette into Erlenmeyer flasks containing 50 mM of calcium chloride. The suspension was agitated for a half hour on a magnetic stirrer to form calcium alginate capsules. After that the capsules were rinsed in sterile water to wash away calcium chloride residues and dryed on filter paper. All operations were made under sterile conditions. For the regeneration of the embeded explants the capsules containing somatic embryos or embryogenic callus of both investigated plants were tested under the following conditions: A. storage at 4°C on filter paper B. incubation on MS agar medium lacking hormones C. incubation on MS agar medium with plant growth regulators. Most of the capsules of treatment A have died, only some of them were alive. After treatment B and C the encapsulated calluses and somatic embryos increased in size, the capsules bursted and later on both calluses and embryos continued to develop directly on the medium. Further experiments are under continuation.