IN VITRO SHOOT PROLIFERATION AND ROOTING OF GARNEM ROOTSTOCK AS INFLUENCED BY BASAL MEDIA, PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS AND CARBON SOURCES

A successful in vitro propagation system for the Garnem rootstock (almond × peach) was optimized. Axillary buds were successfully established in Murashige and Skoog (MS) free-hormone. In proliferation stage, the effect of three culture media including MS, Driver and Kuniyuki (DKW) and Lloyd and McCown (WPM) supplemented with BA (0.5, 1 and 2 mg.l-1) were examined. Proliferated shoots were rooted on ½MS, ½WPM and ½DKW containing 1, 2 and 3 mg.l-1 IBA. The effect of 30 g.l-1 sucrose and sorbitol were also investigated on the best medium for proliferation and rooting. The results showed that the best media for proliferation in terms of shoot and node number was DKW containing 2 mg.l-1 BA. The longest average of shoot length per each explant was observed in WPM basal medium containing 0.5 mg.l-1 BA. The highest root number was achieved by using ½MS medium supplemented with 2 mg.l-1 IBA. Sorbitol also improved the in vitro proliferation and rooting of Garnem rootstock.