PLANT CELL BIOTECHNOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

In vitro shoot buds and somatic embryos from organogenic and embryogenic calli respectively derived from shoot tip cultures of Agave vera-cruz were isolated and encapsulated with sodium alginate and dihydrated calcium chloride. These alginate beads were placed on nutritive medium containing MS salts and L2 vitamins with 3% sucrose and stored in a domestic refrigerator at 5�2�C and freezer at � 5�2�C for 7, 14 and 21 days. After storage, synseeds were dehydrated, thawed and placed on recovery media, containing salts of Murashige and Skoog�s medium and L2 vitamins supplemented with IBA (4.92?M) + BAP(8.86?M) + GA3 (4.92?M) and NAA (5.37?M) + Zeatin (0.91?M) + 40gms of sucrose for encapsulated shoot buds and somatic embryos respectively. The conversion frequency of artificial seeds to seedlings varied from 40% to 53% after storage. Thus obtained plantlets were directly transferred to pots containing sand:soil:manure in the ratio of 1:1:1 without hardening. Nearly 75% to 80% of survival was recorded. This is the first report on synthetic seed production and retrieval of viable plantlets in Agave vera-cruz.