Method for reproducing coniferous plants by somatic embryogenesis using abscisic acid and osmotic potential variation

摘要

The invention is a method for developing tissue culture induced coniferous somatic proembryos into well developed cotyledonary embryos. The method comprises a multistage culturing process in which early stage proembryos are cultured on a late stage proembryo medium comprising a significantly higher osmotic potential along with abscisic acid and an absorbent material to gradually reduce the level of available abscisic acid over time. Culturing from this point continues in an embryo development medium having a high osmotic potential in which the osmotic potential is preferably raised during embryo development to a final level of about 450 mM/kg. Through this process the vigor and morphology of the embryos is improved and the tendency to germinate prematurely is significantly reduced. After a period of several weeks in culture somatic embryos having the appearance of zygotic embryos will have formed. These may be germinated before or after storage and transplanted to the soil for further growth.