IN VITRO PROPAGATION OF CAPPARIS SPINOSA L.

In vitro propagation of Capparis spinosa was conducted via seeds and nodal buds of a Lebanese ecotype.
High seed germination percentage was achieved on MS medium deprived of hormones (71%) and on sterile water (64%) after a dormancy-breaking treatment by coat-scarification with a scalpel.
Multiple shoots were obtained from nodal buds on both MS and modified MS medium supplemented with BAP (1.5 mg l^-1), IBA (0.05 mg l^-1) ± GA₃ (0.1 mg l^-1), at intervals of 4 weeks.
Shoot multiplication was conducted on the same media by subculturing shoot segments with 2-3 nodes every six weeks.
After six subcultures, multiplication was achieved with a mean rate of 20 new shoots per explant.
High rooting response of shoots (87%) was obtained after a 4h pulse treatment period in darkness with IAA solution (100 mg l^-1), followed by a subsequent 30-day of culture on gelled half-strength MS basal medium.
These results indicate the enormous potential for caper to be used for large-scale multiplication.

I International Symposium on Acclimatization and Establishment of Micropropagated Plants

L. Chalak, A. Elbitar, N. Cordahi, C. Hage, A. Chehade

Caper, in vitro culture, micropropagation, seed germination

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2003.616.48