The effects of ancymidol, abscisic acid, uniconazole and paclobutrazol on somatic embryogenesis of asparagus.

The effects of ancymidol, abscisic acid (ABA), uniconazole, and paclobutrazol on asparagus somatic embryogenesis were evaluated. Calli induced from seedlings of genotype G447 were transferred to embryo induction medium (MS plus 3% sucrose, 0.1 mg L(-1) NAA, 0.5 mg L(-1) kinetin and 3% gelrite), with different concentrations of these compounds. After 8 weeks, the recovered bipolar or globular embryos were placed on germination medium (MS plus 6% sucrose, 0.1 mg L(-1) NAA, 0.1 mg L(-1) kinetin, 0.75 mg L(-1) ancymidol, 40 mg L(-1) adenine sulphate dihydrate, 0.17 mg L(-1) sodium phosphate monobasic and 3% gelrite) for conversion to plantlets. Inclusion of ancymidol, ABA, uniconazole and paclobutrazol in the embryo induction medium did not affect the total number of somatic embryos produced relative to the control without these compounds. However, ancymidol, ABA and uniconazole significantly improved embryo development by increasing the production of bipolar embryos 250-750% and decreasing that of globular embryos 8-35% relative to the control. The bipolar embryos produced with any of the four compounds in the embryo induction medium converted to plantlets at rates 700-1100% greater than the control. None of the globular embryos converted to plantlets. Ancymidol (0.75 mg L(-1)) and ABA (0.05 mg L(-1)) were the most effective treatments; 61 and 46 bipolar embryos g(-1) callus were produced, and 38% and 37% of the bipolar embryos converted to plantlets, respectively. These results indicated that ancymidol, ABA, uniconazole and paclobutrazol significantly enhanced the production of asparagus somatic embryos and their conversion to plantlets, and ancymidol and ABA were more effective than uniconazole and paclobutrazol.