Abstract

In order to optimize somatic embryo induction of watermelon, three different explants from three different varieties were used to induce somatic embryo in medium contained BA in combination with either NAA or 2,4-D. ‘Kangbingjingxin’ cotyledon explant with all of PGR combination treatments has a high callus inductivity (75.6%-98.9%), but inductivity of somatic embryo was varied among different PGR combination, the highest inductivity (54.7%) was obtained in medium with BA 3.0 mg/L and NAA 0.05 mg/L. Somatic embryogenesis was different among ‘Kangbingjingxin’, ‘Zaojia 8424’ and ‘Heimeiren’, the inductivity was 46.2%, 34.1% and 15.7% respectively. Callus inductivity of three explants was 88.9%-98.9%, in which callus induced from cotyledon and cotyledon node was mostly embryonic callus while callus from hypocotyl was non-embryonic callus. Somatic embryo inductivity of cotyledon node (62.0%) was significantly higher than cotyledon (46.1%), there is no somatic embryo induced from hypocotyl. However, somatic embryos number per explant of cotyledon node (2.3) was significantly lower than cotyledon (6.0).

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.