SHOOT REGENERATION FROM LEAVES OF PRUNUS-SEROTINA EHRH (BLACK-CHERRY)AND PRUNUS-AVIUM L (WILD CHERRY)

Leaves excised from shoot cultures of Prunus avium cvs. F12/1 and Char ger and genotype 1908, and from five genotypes of P. serotina and two hybrids of P. aviumxP. sargentii developed shoots on Woody Plant mediu m (WPM) supplemented with either benzyladenine (BA) or thidiazuron (TD Z). Regeneration in both P. avium 1908 and a genotype of P. serotina w as improved using TDZ rather than BA in the medium. Regeneration occur red more frequently in P. serotina if leaves were cultured on medium w ith WPM rather than modified Driver and Kuniyuki walnut medium. The pr oportions of leaves that regenerated varied between genotypes of the s ame species. Regenerated shoots of both P. avium and P. serotina devel oped into shoot cultures following transfer to the media used to produ ce the shoot cultures used as explant sources.