Progress towards initiation of somatic embryogenesis from differentiated tissues of radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) using cotyledonary embryos

Green cones of radiata pine were collected from two open-pollinated, elite families in two successive years at weekly intervals, and initiation of embryogenic cultures was investigated as a function of sampling date, initiation medium, explant type, and developmental stage. A combination of dissected embryos and a modified Litvay medium, Glitz, was best. This combination gave the highest rate of initiation, and it was possible to initiate somatic embryogenesis (SE) from differentiated cells in the epicotyledonary region of post-cotyledonary zygotic embryos from the two tested families with an average initiation rate of approximately 24% and 7% from stage five and six embryos, respectively. This is different from established initiation protocols of embryogenic cultures in radiata pine, which has traditionally been based on embryo rescue and continued proliferation of immature zygotic embryos. A further implication of initiation of SE from excised post-cotyledonary embryos was that the period of initiation of embryogenic cultures was extended from 4 to 12 wk.