Enhancing carrot somatic embryos survival during slow dehydration, by encapsulation and control of dehydration

In order to obtain dry artificial seeds, carrot somatic embryos were encapsulated and dehydrated. Encapsulation in some hydrogels delayed the dehydration and preserved the water content of carrot somatic embryos. In particular, a matrix made of alginate with gellan gum was found to be the most efficient in maintaining a high water activity (a_w) around somatic embryos. By delaying dehydration, and also rehydration, encapsulation seemed to protect somatic embryos against desiccation and imbibition damages, giving better germination and emergence of cotyledons. Matrices made of alginate mixed with kaolin or gellan gum were particularly adapted to protect the embryos during the dehydration. Apart from the matrix composition, the control of dehydration speed enhanced the survival and regeneration of encapsulated-dehydrated somatic embryos. Using a slow dehydration protocol (95-15% RH—relative humidity into the chamber—in 11.5 days), it was possible to exert different dehydration speeds. Slowing the dehydration between 70 and 45% RH stabilized the water activity (a_w) of the encapsulation matrix, and enhanced the survival and regeneration frequencies of encapsulated-dehydrated embryos. In the absence of any maturing pretreatment, alginate-gellan gum encapsulated carrot somatic embryos, dehydrated to 15% RH, and rehydrated in moistured air (90% RH), germinated up to 72.9%. Therefore, encapsulation in alginate-gellan gum, combined with a slow dehydration, leads to enhance the somatic embryos' desiccation tolerance.