Development of an in vitro micropropagation protocol for Myrobalan 29C rootstock

Abstract

Stone fruits are well known for their high nutritional value. Therefore, in horticulture, the micropropagation of suitablerootstocks is vital for their cultivation. The aim of the present study was to improve the micropropagation protocol of Myrobalan29C (Prunus cerasifera Ehrh.) rootstock using shoot-tip culture. Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium containing 2 mg L–16-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 0.05 mg L–1 gibberellic acid (GA3) resulted in the highest number (14.3) of multiple shoots. However, agreater shoot length (2.0 cm) was attained when GA3 was excluded from the MS medium and the concentration of BAP was reduced to1 mg L–1. Root induction was best in ½MS medium containing 0.5 mg L–1 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), 0.5 mg L–1 α-naphthaleneaceticacid, and 10 mL L–1 (≈13 mg L–1 Fe) ethylenediamine di-2-hydroxyphenyl acetate ferric with 7.0 roots per explant. On the otherhand, the longest root (12.5 cm) was obtained from increased concentration to 1 mg L–1 of IBA. The establishment of a well-definedmicropropagation protocol will lead to further biotechnological improvement of this crop.