From Somatic Embryo to Synthetic Seed in Citrus spp. Through the Encapsulation Technology

In vitro propagation by somatic embryogenesis represents an efficient alternative method to produce high-quality and healthy plants in Citrus species. The regenerated somatic embryos need protection from mechanical damages during manipulation and transport, as well as nutritive support for their evolution in plantlets after sowing. The encapsulation technology allows to obtain synthetic seeds by covering somatic embryos with a gel of calcium alginate enriched by nutrients. This chapter describes the procedure for producing synthetic seeds containing somatic embryos from different Citrus genotypes.