Abstract

AZPEITIA MORALES, Alfonso; CHAN, José Luis; SAENZ CARBONELL, Luis  and  OROPEZA SALIN, Carlos. Influence of embryogenic callus subdivision on coconut somatic embryo formation. Agric. Téc. Méx [online]. 2009, vol.35, n.1, pp.39-48. ISSN 0568-2517.

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of primary embryogenic callus subdivision on the formation of somatic embryos. The research was carried out at the biotechnology laboratory of the Centro de Investigación Cientificade Yucatán, Mexico. Three months old embryogenic callus from plumules cultivated during three months under dark conditions in Y3 medium added with 0.55 mM of 2,4-D of the cultivar Enano Malayo Verde, were used. The subdivision in four parts of the embryogenic callus showed after fifteen days in culture a 3.36 times increase in the number of torpedo type somatic embryos compared to the control. In a second experiment, using a larger number of samples, the results were similar although in smaller amount (2.7 times more somatic embryos) and 2.36 times increase in fresh weight with the subdivision of callus cultured without phytohormones in relation to the control with phytohormones after fifteen days under light culture conditions. These results are promising and could be useful to increase the number of somatic embryos and eventually facilitate large-scale propagation of hybrids or elite coconut palms.

Keywords : Cocos mucifera L.; somatic embryogenesis; callus subdivision.