Erratum to: In vitro minimal growth storage of Saccharum spp. hybrid (genotype 88H0019) at two stages of direct somatic embryogenic regeneration

In vitro culture via somatic embryogenesis of Saccharum spp. germplasm is used routinely in our laboratories for micropropagation and production of transgenic lines. At times, due to greenhouse and field constraints, it is necessary to hold back material in culture. For this purpose, methods were established to slow down growth and development at two stages of a direct somatic embryogenesis protocol, viz. before embryo maturation and before plantlet acclimatization. Storage of globular somatic embryos of a single genotype, 88H0019, was achieved by transferring three-week old cultures to half-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal salts and vitamin medium, 5 g l −1 sucrose, 0.6 mg l −1 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 0.5 g l −1 casein hydrolysate, 8 g l −1 agar, pH 5.8, at both 18 and 24 ± 2°C for 12 weeks, after which they were transferred to standard regeneration medium. For storage of whole plantlets, the highest survival rates and shoot re-growth after 8 months was observed at 18°C on half-strength MS and 10 g l −1 sucrose, with or without 30 g l −1 sorbitol. Genetic integrity of the plants was established by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis and a low polymorphic rate of 0.005% was observed. Phenotypic stability was investigated by conducting standard agronomic and yield measurements after a further 8 months of field growth. Although stalk diameter was significantly smaller from all the minimal growth-derived plants, sucrose yield was not compromised when compared to a conventionally propagated field control.