PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF THE ENCAPSULATION MATRIX AND GERMINATION OF CARROT SOMATIC EMBRYOS

Carrot somatic embryos were encapsulated in alginate gel beads. To imp rove the quality of a ''synthetic seed'' coating, the theology and deh ydration properties of different matrices were tested. By increasing a lginate and CaCl2 concentrations, additional mineral elements were sho wn to increase resistance to rupture, and to depress the germination o f somatic embryos. A polysaccharide addition was found to slow the alg inate matrix dehydration; alginate-gellan gum and alginate-kaolin matr ices could preserve the viability of somatic embryos at low relative h umidities (30% to 35% germinations at 50% relative humidity) to a grea ter extent than other matrices. (C) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.