EFFECT OF PLANT-DENSITY AND MACRONUTRIENT NUTRITION ON DELPHINIUM SHOOT CULTURES

The effect of shoot density on the uptake of macronutrients from MS me dium and growth rates of Delphinium shoot tissue cultures was determin ed, Multiplication rates and uptake of phosphate, nitrate and sugar pe r shoot increased with decreasing shoot density. Increasing the concen tration of total nutrients significantly increased both fresh weight g ain and multiplication rate at the high plant density (15 shoots 50 ml -1 medium) usually used for micropropagation. However, increasing the phosphate concentration (phosphate being the nutrient most rapidly dep leted in the medium) resulted in higher fresh weight only, while the m ultiplication rates of shoots remained similar.