Recovery of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) plants from culture of immature zygotic embryos

An embryo culture protocol using immature cassava seeds has been developed to enhance successful seed germination and reduce time for population establishment. Embryonic axes were excised from seeds 40 days after pollination and placed on 1/3 MS medium supplemented with growth factors. Fruits were either air-dried at 20 °C to aid dehiscence, or dissected immediately after harvest. Culture of embryonic axes from seeds obtained from mature fruits (90 days after pollination) served as control. Average percent germination and plantlet recovery rate were higher for embryos cultured from non air-dried immature seeds than from air-dried immature seeds. Immature seeds that were air-dried before germination had ≥50% reduction in germination rate and ≥75% reduction in plantlet recovery rate, indicating that cassava immature zygotic embryos are susceptible to osmotic pressure changes. Genotypic effects were observed in shoot elongation, formation of internodes, and vigor of cultures from both mature and immature seeds. The high percentage of plants recovered from immature seeds through embryo culture opens up opportunities for genetic stock development in cassava that has been previously unexplored. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.