Abstract: [Objective] The suitable culture conditions for somatic embryos maturation and germination of Picea schrenkiana var. tianschanica were established to provide a basis for large-scale propagation and industrial production of somatic embryos of P. schrenkiana var. tianschanica.[Method] Embryogenic callus induced from mature zygotic embryos of P. schrenkiana var. tianschanica were cultured in 14 strains, 4 mature media and 100, 150, 200 mg fresh embryogenic callus. ABA concentrations (1.9, 3.8, 7.6, 19, 38 μmol·L^-1) were used for mature culture of somatic embryos, and the morphological characteristics of seedlings from different origins (somatic embryos, zygotic embryos and seeds) were compared. The optimum conditions for somatic embryos maturation and germination of P. schrenkiana var. tianschanica were selected. The somatic embryos were statistically analyzed using SPSS 18.0 and other statistical software.[Result] 1) 14 strains of P. schrenkiana var. tianschanica were used to induce cell embryos. The results showed that there were differences in the number of induced cell embryos among different strains on the same mature medium. Different strains and different quantity of embryogenic callus used for culture resulted in different number of induced somatic embryos. When the quantity of embryogenic callus was 100 mg, the number of edsomatic embryos induced of strain T36 was the highest (3 470±546), significantly higher than those of the other strains. 2) Mature somatic embryos of P. schrenkiana var. tianschanica were formed on all the 4 different media for maturing. The media with 1/2BLG+30 g·L^-1 maltose produced a higher number of somatic embryos than other media, at respectively 2 044(strain T6) and 2 282(strain T36), indicating a significant difference (P<0.05). 3) There was no significant difference in the number of imduced somatic embryos among different concentrations of ABA (P>0.05). When the concentration of ABA was 1.9-38 μmol·L^-1, the average number of somatic embryogenesis was 2 850-2 913, among which 7.6 μmol·L^-1 ABA was a better treatment. The average number of normal somatic embryos was 2 913, higher than that of the other treatments. 4) The germinating plantlets of different origins (somatic embryos, naked zygotic embryos and mature seed) were compared. The results showed that the seedling development stages of somatic embryos and naked zygotic embryos were basically the same. However, the plantlets of naked zygotic embryos were about twice as large as those of the somatic embryos, but there was no significant difference between them (P>0.05). There was no significant difference between somatic embryos and zygotic cotyledons (P>0.05). The number of cotyledons in most plantlets was 7-8.[Conclusion] The suitable condition for somatic embryos maturation of P. schrenkiana var. tianschanica was 100 mg embryogenic callus, 1/2BLG medium supplemented with 7.6 μmol·L^-1 ABA and 75% PEG4000, 30 g·L^-1 maltose, and added with 750 mg·L^-1 L-glutamine or 50 mg·L^-1 L-asparagine. In addition, there were differences in the number of induced cell embryos among different strains. Somatic embryos regeneration plant is similar in morphology to zygotic embryos plant, which can be used for large scale propagation and industrial production of somatic embryos of P. schrenkiana var. tianschanica.

Key words: Picea schrenkiana var. tianschanica, somatic embryos, abscisic acid