IN-VITRO PLANT-REGENERATION OF FIG (FICUS-CARICA L. CV GULAR) USING APICAL BUDS FROM MATURE TREES

A reliable procedure for multiple-shoot induction and plantlet regener ation was developed with apical buds collected from 7- to 8-year-old t rees of Ficus carica L. using Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium supple mented with 2.0 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine and 0.2 mg/l l-naphthaleneace tic acid. The in-vitro-regenerated shoots were further multiplied on M S medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine and 0.2 mg/l 1 -naphthaleneacetic acid and an average multiplication rate of four per subculture was established with 90% success. Excised shoots were root ed in liquid half strength MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/l indole -3-butyric acid and 0.2% activated charcoal. Regenerated plantlets wer e successfully established in soil, with a success rate of 68%.