IN VITRO MICROROPOGATION OF SWEET CHERRY (Prunus avium L.) ROOTSTOCK CV. 'MAZZARD'

The present studies on in vitro propagation of sweet cherry rootstock 'Mazzard' was carried out in Biotechnology laboratory, Division of Pomology, Shalimar during 2006-2009. Surface sterilization of shoot tip explants with 0.1% HgCl2 for 10 minutes yielded maximum aseptic cultures and explant survival. Using explants from forced stock plant cuttings significantly improved both these parameters. Maximum explant establishment (76.0%) was observed on MS medium supplemented with BAP + kinetin (0.25 + 0.25 mg L-1). The established explants were sub-cultured within 3 to 5 weeks of culture initiation for proliferation through stimulation of axillary buds. BAP + kinetin (0.25 + 0.25 mg L-1) accounted for maximum proliferating cultures (99.98%) with highest multiplication efficiency in terms of proliferation grade (4.0) and shoot number explant(-1) (16.2). Rooting experiments were carried out by incubation of micro-shoots in IBA supplemented MS media for 10 days under darkness followed by their transfer to hormone-free MS media with incubation under light conditions of culture room. Micro-shoots greater than 10 mm in length gave maximum rooting. IBA (2.5 mg L-1) was found best auxin concentration which not only gave highest rooting (96.66%) but also maximized root number shoot(-1) (6.30) and root length (48.33 mm).