IN VITRO PROPAGATION OF PRUNUS AVIUM L. AND STORAGE OF IN VITRO DERIVED PLANTLETS

Difficulties of in vitro propagation of mazzard can be overcome by in vitro culture methods.
Placing the meristems of terminal buds of young branches on solid Murashige/Skoog medium containing 0.1 mg/l NAA and 2 mg/l BAP resulted in the development of axillary shoots.
These shoots were explanted on the same nutrient medium for further propagation.
The culture conditions were: 25° C ± 1°, 16 hs photo-period at 900 Lux.
Micro-shoots were rooted on 1/3 strength solid or liquid MS-medium containing 2 mg/l IAA under the same environmental conditions, but under reduced light intensity: 500 – 600 Lux.

It is possible to store in vitro derived shoots at a temperature of 2° C and 50 Lux (16 hs) for a maximum period of 6 months without any transfer to fresh medium.
Extending the storage period for more than 6 months does not result in surviving shoots.

The storage period can be extended, however, by using rooted plantlets.
In own experiments a storage period up to 18 months did not influence the survival rate of the plantlets.
Before transplanting the stored material into the greenhouse the elongated shoots were cut back to induce the development of axillary shoots.
Afterwards these shoots were handled as unstored material.

International Workshop on Improvement of Sweet and Sour Cherry Varieties and Rootstocks

A. Sauer

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1985.169.48