Combined desiccation treatments of hybrid larch (Larix x eurolepis) somatic embryos resulted in reduced water content keeping their germination and conversion rates: multi-scale characterizations
It is assumed that the production of somatic embryos (SEs), which closely resemble fully mature zygotic embryos (ZEs), increases the chance of producing somatic plants equivalent to seedlings. Desiccation is crucial to reduce the water content of SEs and to initiate biochemical changes that support germination and conversion into plants. We investigated the biological, histological, biochemical and molecular changes in the SEs of hybrid larch Larix eurolepis exposed to desiccation at high relative humidity (RH; 98 %), reduced RH (59 %), or a combination of both.