The effects of growth regulators and a scanning electron microscope study of somatic embryogenesis in Antartic hair grass (Deschampsia antarctica Desv.)

Deschampsia antartctica Desv. is a type of grass that is physiologically and biochemically adapted to the extreme environmental conditions of the Antarctic continent, which is of interest to many investigators. To explore the potential use of somatic embryogenesis as a biotechnological tool for the mass micropropagation of this grass, the effects of three dosages of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, dicamba, and picloram were evaluated. The developmental and morphological stages of somatic embryo formation were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Plant regeneration was evaluated under the effects of different dosages of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), alone and combined. The results indicated that a Murashige and Skoog basal medium supplemented with 3 mg/l of dicamba was the best for inducing somatic embryogenesis, while the combination of 1 mg/l BAP and 0.1 mg/l of NAA was the most efficient for the regeneration and development of the plants. This work demonstrates, for the first time with the use of SEM, that it is possible to apply somatic embryogenesis for the regeneration of superficial and morphological structures of somatic embryos in the species D. antarctica.