Embryo Rescue via Artificial Seed Technique and Long-Term Preservation of <i>Zephyranthes</i>

Zephyranthes is valued as a native ornamental landscaping plant and a traditional medicinal herb. Due to the low seed viability, this study was carried out to evaluate the potential of seed embryo rescue using the artificial seed technique and long-preservation in Z. atamasca and Z. grandiflora. Seed embryos were selected for encapsulation with different concentration of sodium alginate (3%, 4%, and 5%) and calcium chloride (either 25, 50, 75, and 100 mM) followed by no encapsulated embryos as a control. The greatest viability of encapsulated embryos was 95% in Z. grandiflora and 85% in Z. atamasca with the combination of 4% sodium alginate and 100 mM calcium chloride after two weeks at 5°C. The highest viability with A490nm0.12 and A490nm0.16 were achieved when embryos were cultured in pretreatment medium with 30 g/L sucrose in Z. grandiflora and Z. atamasca, respectively. The highest viability by TTC assay after cryopreservation was observed with 54% viability for Z. grandiflora and 48% viability with Z. atamasca, after 2 h of dehydration. Rain lilies embryos were successfully preserved functioned as artificial seed and cryopreservation using encapsulation-dehydration method has been established for both species that can be used for other flower species with some modifications.