Somatic embryogenesis and plantlet regeneration from cell suspension cultures of Fagus sylvatica L.

Embryogenic cell suspension cultures and somatic embryos of five genotypes of beech, were obtained from aged cultures derived from immature zygotic embryos cultured on solid medium containing both 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and N6-benzyladenine. The origin of somatic embryos was traced from single cells. Embryos remained arrested at the globular stage on liquid media, further development was achieved after plating embryogenic aggregates on Murashige and Skoog's medium with half strength major salts supplemented with glutamine and low levels of growth regulators. Cultures of different genotypes showed significant differences in maturation frequency which was not affected by the hormone treatments assayed. The frequency of conversion of embryos into plantlets was low. This frequency increased after cold storage of embryos for up to 7 months.