In vitro Plant Regeneration from callus in semi dwarf cultivar of Punica granatum L. ʻNanaʼ

Abstract

Leaf explants of a semi dwarf cultivar of pomegranate were placed on Murashige and Skoog [6] (MS) medium supplemented with various concentrations of 6-benzyl adenin (BA) and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) for callus induction. Maximum callus induction was observed on a media containing 1 mg L-1 BA with 0 mg L-1 NAA. However, the highest callus growth was obtained on a medium containing 1 mg L-1 BA and 0.5 mg L-1 NAA.. Maximum shoot proliferation was observed when shoots were cultured on woody plant medium (WPM) supplemented with 2 mg L-1 BA. In this treatment, after 4 subcultures, 85 shoots were produced from one original explant. Among treatments used in rooting experiments, shoots cultured on WPM medium with 0-0.2 mg L-1 indol butyric acid (IBA) had the maximum root percentage (100%). Rooted plantlets were cultured in a soil mixture containing vermiculite (60%), perlite (30%) and coco peat (10%) v/v. After 2 months, 100% of plants survived and transferred to the greenhouse.