In vitro propagation of pomegranate (Punica granatum L. cv. Ganesh) through axillary shoot proliferation from nodal segments of mature tree

A rapid and efficient procedure is outlined for in vitro clonal propagation of an elite cultivar of pomegranate (Punica granatum L. cv. Ganesh) using nodal stem segments of a mature tree. Bud break and axillary shoot prolifer ation was induced in the nodal segments on Murashige and Skoog (1962) (MIS) medium supplemented with benzyladenine (BA), zeatin riboside (ZR) or thidi azuron (TDZ), with ZR being most effective. Maximum number of shoots were d eveloped on a medium containing 2.0 mg l(-1) ZR. However, the shoots failed to elongate. This problem was overcome by transferring the shoot clumps to a medium with a lower level of ZR. TDZ was least effective of all the cyto kinins tested. Rooting was induced in 86% of the regenerated shoots in a ha lf-strength MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg l(-1) indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). Upon transfer of the rooted shoots to an auxin-free half-strength MS medium the primary roots elongated further and additionally new roots deve loped. The plantlets were acclimatised and established in soil. (C) 1999 El sevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.