© 1995 Heron Publishing—Victoria, Canada
In vitro regeneration of Pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis) plantlets and histological analysis of shoot formation
Luiz Kulchetscki (1, 2), Indra S. Harry (1), Edward C. Yeung (1) and Trevor A. Thorpe (1, 3)
1. Plant Physiology Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada / 2. Departamento de Fitotecnia e Fitossanidade, Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Paraná, Brazil / 3. Author to whom correspondence should be addressed / Received October 31, 1994
Summary
A protocol is described for the in vitro propagation of Abies amabilis (Dougl.) Forbes. Over 60% of the cotyledonary explants from 5-day-old cotyledons formed shoots when cultured for 7 days on
Schenk and Hildebrandt's (SH) medium containing 10 µM N6-benzyladenine (BA) followed by another 7 days on SH medium containing 10 µM each of BA and zeatin. Shoot multiplication was
unsuccessful. Seventeen percent rooting was obtained after pulsing for 4 h in 1 mM indole-3-butyric acid and planting pulsed
shoots in 1/1 (v/v) perlite/vermiculite. Cell clusters (promeristemoids) of five to seven cells were observed on the cotyledonary
explants after 7 days of culture in the presence of cytokinin. These cells developed further into meristematic domes and apical
meristems. In the absence of cytokinin, stomata and resin canals reached maturity, whereas cells within the cortex became
vacuolated and developed into palisade and spongy mesophyll.
Keywords:
agar, conifer, organogenesis, stratification, vitamins.
