Improved plantlet regeneration from open-pollinated families of Abies alba trees of Dobroč primeval forest and adjoing managed stand via somatic embryogenesis

Abstract

AbstractPossibility to improve plantlet regeneration from Abies alba Mill. open-pollinated families of 4 trees in Dobroč primeval and 3 trees in managed forest was studied. Immature zygotic embryos were cultured in order to obtain initiation of embryogenic tissue. Totally, three from the families of the managed forest (57%) and two from the primeval families (50%) responded to initiation condition. Initiation frequencies among families ranged in managed forest: 4.5–56.2%, primeval: 5.4–16.8%. Maturation ability was shown by 77.3% of the primeval cell lines, 36.4% cell lines produced cotyledonary somatic embryos. In managed forest, in 62.5% of the cell lines embryo maturation was observed. Cotyledonary embryos developed only in 15% of cell lines. Regenerants were obtained from 9 cell lines of primeval and from 6 cell lines of managed forest. Biochemically, the mature somatic embryos were characterized by the variation in soluble and protein profiles. The corresponding profiles of insoluble proteins exhibited uniform pattern. The variation was characteristic for somatic embryos of individual cell lines rather than for the primeval and managed stands. Enzymatically, no indications were obtained supporting higher metabolic potential of somatic embryos derived from zygotic embryos of silver fir primeval stand than in somatic embryos originating from the trees of managed stand.