Rooting of blue honeysuckle microshoots

Rooting of axillary shoots of two blue honeysuckle forms, Lonicera caerulea f. caerulea and L. caerulea f. edulis, was studied. Both in vitro and ex vitro rooting procedures were used, and the effects of mineral and auxin concentrations of the rooting media were tested. Reduced mineral nutrient concentrations of modified MS medium allowed more root elongation but did not affect the primary root number. The rooting percentage was high (> 90%) in the form caerulea microcuttings but low (< 40%) in the form edulis microcuttings when not treated with auxin. The rooting frequency and primary root number of the form edulis shoots could be increased up to 100% with 10 roots per microcutting, in the continuous presence of auxin. The continuous auxin treatments repressed the elongation and increased the diameter of primary roots and induced callus formation at the base of the shoots. Differences in root systems were related to equimolar concentrations of the auxins indole-3-butyric acid, indole-3-acetic acid and a-naphthaleneacetic acid, but the differences were diminished after one month ex vitro. After transfer ex vitro, several of the roots formed in vitro and some microcuttings died. A high rooting percentage and a good ex vitro survival and root growth of the form edulis microplants were achieved by a 7-day pulse with 4 mu M indole-3-butyric acid followed by rooting ex vitro.