Somatic embryogenesis in Greek fir

Abstract

To induce somatic embryogenesis of Greek fir, Abies cephalonica Loud., the influence of different cultivation media, sampling dates, and cold treatment storage were examined. The initiation frequencies ranged from 1% to 25%. The sampling date had a significant effect on the initiation of embryogenic cultures and a high frequency was observed within a 5 week window. The effect of cone storage, composition of initiation media, and the medium by storage interaction also remained nonsignificant after 3 and 10 months of proliferation growth. At the maturation phase, the highest tested concentrations of abscisic acid (ABA), 16 and 32 µmol/L, increased both the capability of embryogenic cell masses (ECMs) to produce embryos and the mean number of embryos. Of the two tested carbohydrates, maltose-containing media produced more embryos altogether (1943, on the average of 22.3 embryos per gram fresh mass) and 76% of the ECMs were able to produce embryos when compared with the corresponding values (152, on the average 3.0 embryos per gram fresh mass) and 15.3%, respectively, on sucrose-containing medium. However, 93.5% of embryos on maltose-containing medium died during the germination phase, whereas the corresponding percentage on sucrose-containing medium was 78.2%.