ORGANOGENESIS OF PUNICA-GRANATUM L VAR NANA

Callus from leaf and stem explants of dwarf pomegranate (Punica granat um L. var, nana) produced adventitious shoots after two month of in vi tro culture. Leaf segment and stem explants initially were cultured on a modified Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with gr owth regulators in the range of: 1) 0.1-1.5 mg/l BA, ZT, KT, and 2iP; 2) 0.1 - 1.0 mg/l IAA, IBA, and NAA plus 0.5 mg/l BA, respectively. Ad ventitious shoot elongation was stimulated most effectively when the i nitial calli were transferred from the shoot induction medium to MS ba sal medium suplemented with 0.5 mg/l BA and 0.1 mg/l IBA. Elongated sh oots rooted easily on half-strength MS medium. Rooted shoots were tran splanted to soil and kept in a greenhouse under mist conditions. Such plants began to flower within two to three month, indicating that in v itro culture of leaf and stem explants is a potential method for mass propagation of dwarf pomegranate. Chemical names used: N-(phenylmethyl )-1H-purine-6-amine (BA); 2-methyl-4-(1H-purine-6-ylamino)-2-buten-1-o l (zeatin, ZT); 6-furfurylaminopurine (kinetin, KT); N-(3-methyl-2-but enyl)-1H-purine-6-amine (2iP); IH-indole-3-acetic acid (IAA); IH-indol e-3-butyric acid (IBA); 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA); casein hydroly sate (CH)