Micropropagation of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L)

A protocol for micropropagation of sea buckthorn was developed starting with shoot tips or meristems from plants up to 18 years old. Among the different media used, the best medium for both initiation and multiplication was the woody plant medium (WPM). 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) was the most suitable growth regulator with all optimal concentration of 0.10-0.25 mg/l for initiation and 0.4-1.0 mg/l for multiplication. On WPM medium with BAP, the average rate of multiplication in Erlenmeyer flasks was 3.3-4.0 shoots per explant per month and in test tubes 2.0-3.0 shoots. Moreover, most explants produced several to tens of adventitious buds which grew into shoots. Explants rooted spontaneously in the multiplication medium at a frequency of about 33%. With this method, explants of different origins have been successfully propagated in vitro; and rooted young plants which had developed root nodules were produced both in the greenhouse and in the field.