CaCl2 enhanced somatic embryogenesis in Manihot esculenta Crantz.

Primary cassava somatic embryos were induced on a medium without CaCl(2), however, no or only a few secondary somatic embryos were formed from them. With 15 mM CaCl(2) in the medium for induction of cassava primary embryos, more secondary somatic embryos were produced from them, and they were much effective in maintaining their embryogenic capacity than the controls of embryos which were induced without CaCl(2).