In vitro culture of immature zygotic mango embryos and plantlet development

Abstract

In vitro culture of immature embryos may assist mango breeding in the production of hybrid plant material. However, zygotic embryo culture techniques have not been successfully developed for mango. To recover in vitro zygotic plants through embryo culture, 'Lippens' and 'Keitt' were used as a source of model immature embryos. Excised embryos were incubated in a liquid maturation medium to test different culture systems and media composition. Subsequent germination allowed for the recovery of complete in vitro plantlets. Variables included during artificial embryo maturation, independently or through paired interactions, significantly affected all the parameters measured for embryo development and characterization of the plantlets. Main effects of culture system (i.e., static versus agitation) and coconut water supply (20%) were responsible for up to 85.5% of total treatment variation. Direct and inverse interactions observed between culture system and either coconut water supplement or sucrose content (45 or 60 g.L-1) contributed to define the best combination of factors to improve embryo growth and plant formation. Complete plantlets could be obtained at a frequency above 83% for both cultivars at the end of the in vitro phase at a developmental stage that allowed acclimatization to greenhouse conditions.