Development of Encapsulated Somatic Embryos and Evaluation for Seed Quality Parameters in Papaya Carica papaya L Cv Arka Surya

Abstract

newlineSynthetic seed production is an applied technology which capitalizes on the newlinecapacity for rapid plant multiplication via somatic embryogenesis. Synthetic seed may newlineprovide the only technology realistically amenable to the extensive scale up required for newlinethe commercial production of some clones. Synthetic seeds and somatic embryos have newlinemultiple advantages over organogenesis for propagation, including ease of handling and newlinepotential long-term storage, higher scale-up production. newlineA protocol was developed for somatic embryogenesis by culturing young newlinehypocotyle explants in papaya (Carica papaya) cv. Arka Surya. Abundant embryogenic newlinecalli were induced on modified MS medium containing different growth hormones like newline2, 4- D (2, 4- Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid), Kinetin and BAP (6-Benzylaminopurine). newlineThe maximum transformation of callus to pro-embryogenic masses was observed at 0.2 newlinemg/l kinetin (50.10%) and at 0.3 mg/l BAP (50.75%). MS medium containing 2, 4- D newline(2.5 mg/l) and coconut water (100 ml/l) resulted in 42.43 per cent. When 2, 4-D newline(3 mg/l) alone was used 46.89 per cent somatic embryo induction was observed. The newlineconcentration of 2, 4-D at 3 mg/l, showed all the events or stages occurring in the newlineproduction of somatic embryos from callus to torpedo stage after, synchronous matured newlineembryos were desiccated and the encapsulated seeds were produced by encapsulating newlinethe dry somatic embryos with sodium alginate gel (3%) and complexing with calcium newlinechloride (100 mM). Among somatic embryos, whether naked or encapsulated, the newlineencapsulated somatic embryos were survived for long duration at 50 C temperatures, newlinewhen they were compared to naked somatic embryos. The survival rate of harvested newlinesynthetic seeds was 72 per cent after establishment in greenhouse.