Effect of abscisic acid, osmolarity and partial desiccation on the development of recalcitrant mango somatic embryos.
Pliego-Alfaro F., Monsalud M. J. R., Litz R. E., Gray D. J., Moon P. A.
Author Affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidad de Malaga, Malaga, Spain.
Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture 44 : 63-70
Abstract : Inhibition of mango (Mangifera indica) somatic embryo growth from ovule halves (collected 40-50 days after pollination) was induced in vitro by treatments for 4 or more weeks with abscisic acid (ABA; 0-100 µM) with and without high osmolarity provided by mannitol (0-10%). High osmolarity and ABA significantly affected somatic embryo length, precocious germination and the production of good quality secondary somatic embryos. High osmolarity also affected root elongation. ABA was more effective in suppressing growth and development of ?0.5 cm-length somatic embryos than smaller somatic embryos. Development beyond the heart stage was significantly inhibited by both ABA and mannitol treatments. The recovery of good quality somatic embryos was enhanced by high levels of ABA (100 µM) with and without mannitol (0-5%). Somatic embryos that had been pulsed with ABA were partially desiccated at different relative humidities. Weight loss was affected only by relative humidity and ABA did not enhance desiccation tolerance.