Bc. Li et Dj. Wolyn, ABSCISIC-ACID AND ANCYMIDOL PROMOTE CONVERSION OF SOMATIC EMBRYOS TO PLANTLETS AND SECONDARY EMBRYOGENESIS IN ASPARAGUS-OFFICINALIS L, In vitro cellular & developmental biology. Plant, 32(4), 1996, pp. 223-226
The effects of abscisic acid (ABA) (0, 0.09 mu M, 0.19 mu M, 0.28 mu M
, and 0.38 mu M) or ancymidol (0, 0.98 mu M, 1.95 mu M, 2.93 mu M, 3.9
0 mu M) in embryo germination medium on the conversion of primary embr
yos to plantlets and secondary embryogenesis were evaluated for aspara
gus. ABA and ancymidol each significantly enhanced both responses. ABA
was more effective than ancymidol in promoting the conversion of prim
ary embryos to plantlets, while the converse was true for the producti
on of secondary embryos. The most effective treatments for embryo conv
ersion were 0.19 and 0.28 mu M ABA; 75-77% bipolar and 55-57% globular
embryos converted to plantlets. For secondary embryogenesis, the most
effective treatments were 1.95 and 2.93 mu M ancymidol; 99-101 and 84
-86 somatic embryos were produced from 10 globular and 10 bipolar embr
yos, respectively. Bipolar embryos generally converted to plantlets be
tter than globular embryos, but more secondary embryos were produced f
rom globular embryos than from bipolar embryos in all treatments. ABA
and ancymidol also affected the morphology of the plantlets produced.
The plantlets from the embryos incubated on the medium with ancymidol
had strong and thick shoots and roots, while those on the medium with
ABA had long, thin shoots and short, thin roots.