MICROPROPAGATION OF FASTIGIATE BIRD CHERRY (PRUNUS-PADUS L) AND ADVENTITIOUS SHOOT FORMATION FROM LEAVES

A shoot tip of a mature clone of fastigiate bird cherry (Prunus padus L.) was successfully established in vitro. Culture of shoot tip explants on a Murashige and Skoog (MS) based medium with phloroglucinol (PG) resulted in micropropagation, but the clonal line gradually became hyperhydric on this medium. This problem was overcome using PG-free medium based on either MS or Driver and Kuniyuki Walnut medium (DKW). Heavier cultures with more shoots were obtained on DKW medium with fructose or glucose rather than sucrose or sorbitol. Leaf explants placed on DKW basal medium with benzyladenine (BA) produced adventitious shoots. Addition of 1-naphthaleneacetic acid to media with BA increased regeneration. More leaves produced shoots on medium with sucrose or sorbitol rather than glucose or fructose. Adventitious shoots were excised and micropropagated. Shoots were rooted by insertion into DKW medium with indol-3yl-butyric acid, followed by transfer to hormone-free DKW. PG increased the proportion of shoots that produced adventitious roots.