OLlVE EMBRVO DEVELOPMENT OBTAINING VIABLE SEEUUNGS

Whcn 'Manzanillo' olive cmbryos were cxciscd al successivc dates and cultured 011 one¡hiTd strenglh Murashige-S koog medium. three Slagcs of diffcring growlh potential were observed: 1) An inllial stagc in which no germination was obtained. 2) An intermediate 'c riticar period in which germination and viabil ilY percenlage illcrcased according 10 date ,me! 3) A final stage. fram Ihe lime whcll Ihe clllbryo rcached fu]] size, in which gemlination and viability were maximum. In Ihe intermediale 'critica!' period Ihe seed had oblained its fi nal 1cnglh and ¡he cmbryo was undergoing rapid ex pan sive grow!h. AnalOmical sludies indicaled (he presence of the fut ure roOl and shoot apices and wellddined provascular strands throughoUl !his periodo As time progressed, however, the embryo tissucs secrncd to acquire grc:J.ter mClabo!ic contcn! and cytoplasmic integrity.