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We used four cultivars of Capsicum annuum L. - Sweet Banana, California Wonder, Yolo Wonder, and Ace -- to reexamine the critical factors influencing somatic embryogenesis from zygotic embryo explants, as reported in the literature. When we followed the protocol of Buyukalaca and Mavituna (1996), which had induced somatic embryogenesis from mature zygotic embryos of cv. Ace, only callus was formed without embryogenesis from our mature zygotic embryo explants. Using the procedures of Harini and Lakshmi Sita (1993) and Binzel et al. (1996), with some modifications, we were able to induce somatic embryogenesis in all four cultivars. Rates of conversion were significantly reduced, from 75% and 65% to 40% and 28% in ´Sweet Banana´ and ´California Wonder´, respectively, when the immature zygotic embryo explants were held on the induction medium for longer than two weeks. Likewise, somatic embryogenesis of ´Yolo Wonder´ was not observed if the induction medium was supplemented with 10% glucose or fructose, or without 10% sucrose. For somatic embryo induction and eventual plantlet conversion in Yolo Wonder´, maltose could adequately replace sucrose. In all four cultivars, somatic embryos were initiated from immature zygotic explants on media with or without coconut water, under both light and dark conditions.
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