OPTIMIZATION OF SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS IN CANEPHORA COFFEE
Coffea canephora, Plant Tissue Culture, Cotyledonary Embryos.
Plant tissue culture allows the clonal propagation of Coffea canephora cultivars on a large scale through somatic embryogenesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the induction of somatic embryos from leaves of C. canehora, Robusta and Conilon varieties. To define the most appropriate methods for inducing embryos in explants, the physiological stage of the explant donor leaves - drain or source, the use of explants containing central or secondary veins, and the position of the explants - abaxial or adaxial - were evaluated in contact with the medium. The explants were inoculated in a culture medium with different growth regulators – 2iP (isopentaniladenine), IBA (indolebutyric acid) and BAP (6-benzylaminopurine), in different combinations and concentrations. At 45 days of culture, the percentage of callus induction was evaluated and, at 120 days, the average number of cotyledonary embryos per explant. It was observed that the leaf fragments most responsive to the tests were removed from drain leaves, with explants containing secondary veins, placing the adaxial face in contact with the culture medium. As for the percentage of explants with calluses, the most efficient combinations of growth regulators were: 5.0 mg L-1 of IBA + 1.0 mg L-1 of 2iP and 3.0 mg L-1 of IBA + 3, 0 mg L-1 of BAP – for Robusta cultivar; and 5.0 mg L-1 of IBA + 1.0 mg L-1 of 2iP and 5.0 mg L-1 of IBA + 5.0 mg L-1 of BAP – for the Conilon cultivar. As for the average number of embryos per explant, the most efficient combinations of growth regulators were: 5.0 mg L-1 of IBA + 1.0 mg L-1 of 2iP and 2.0 mg L-1 of IBA + 3 ,0 mg L-1 of BAP – for Robusta cultivar; and 4.0 mg L-1 of IBA + 1.0 mg L-1 of 2iP and 5.0 mg L-1 of IBA + 5.0 mg L-1 of BAP – for the Conilon cultivar.