IMPROVEMENT OF THE MATURATION AND GERMINATION OF HORSE CHESTNUT SOMATIC EMBRYOS

Embryogenic tissues obtained from stamen filament cultures of horse ch estnut (Aesculum hippocastanum L.) were cultured on maturation media s upplemented with different combinations of abscisic acid, polyethylene glycol 4000, mannitol or activated charcoal. Somatic embryos were sub jected to different desiccation procedures after a culture period on m aturation media. After a slow desiccation, obtained by placing the som atic embryos in empty and non-sealed Petri dishes under the laminar ai r flow for 48 h, an increase in viability, shoot elongation and conver sion was observed for the embryos previously cultured on medium enrich ed with ABA (80 mu M) alone or plus PEG (50 gl(-1)).