IMPROVED CULTURE CONDITIONS FOR SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS USING AN ASEPTIC VENTILATIVE FILTER IN EGGPLANT (SOLANUM-MELONGENA L)

Embryogenic calli were induced from a cotyledon cutting of Solanum melongena L. on Murashige and Skoog (MS) solid medium supplemented with 50 mu M 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Calli were proliferated in MS liquid medium supplemented with 50 mu M 2,4-D. Non-vitrified somatic embryos were formed and efficiently developed into cotyledonary embryos on transfer to MS hormone-free medium with high concentration (1%) of gelrite in a culture vessel capped with an aseptic ventilative filter. Somatic embryos developed into normal plants when transferred to half-strength MS solid medium without hormones. In contrast, vitrified and swollen embryos were formed on the same medium with 0.2% gelrite in culture vessels capped with aluminum foil, could not germinate normally and developed in part into callus tissue. The established system here was applied to 10 cultivars, and eight of them could form nonvitrified embryos that developed into normal plants. The effects of an aseptic ventilative filter on somatic embryogenesis are discussed.