In vitro propagation of Calamintha nepeta

Calamintha nepeta is a Mediterranean aromatic plant with potential use as a floricultural and landscape plant.
In this study the micropropagation of the species was investigated.
In vitro cultures were established from shoot-tip explants, excised from adult plants grown in the wild and cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 1.0 mg L^-1 benzyladenine (BA). Only 30% of the explants survived due to contamination.
In two following subcultures MS medium with BA at 1.0 or 2.0 mg L ¹ was used, which induced 70-75% explant response and the production of three shoots per explant at average.
In the third subculture the effect of cytokinin type, BA or zeatin (ZEA) at concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 2.0 mg L^-1), as well, as the explant type (shoot tip, nodal) on shoot production was investigated.
When shoot-tip explants were used higher shoot production (83-92%) took place on MS medium with ZEA at all concentrations tested, while in nodal explants only ZEA at 1.0 mg L^-1 induced relatively high shoot production (71%). Microshoots rooted at 90-100% when cultured either for 6 weeks on hormone-free half strength MS medium, or on full-strength MS medium supplemented with 0.5-2.0 mg L^-1 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) for one week and then transferred on hormone-free half strength MS medium for 5 weeks more.
Full-strength MS medium inhibited rooting, particularly when it was combined with continuous presence of IBA. Ex vitro acclimatization was successful (79%) on a peat-perlite (1:1, v/v) medium.

XXIX International Horticultural Congress on Horticulture: Sustaining Lives, Livelihoods and Landscapes (IHC2014): International Symposium on Micropropagation and In Vitro Techniques

G. Vlachou, M. Papafotiou, K.F. Bertsouklis

acclimatization, cytokinins, ex vitro establishment, explant type, native ornamental, shoot multiplication

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2016.1113.28