© 2005 Heron Publishing—Victoria, Canada
Factors influencing axillary shoot proliferation and adventitious budding in cedar
Begoña Renau-Morata (1), Javier Ollero (1), Isabel Arrillaga (1) and Juan Segura (1, 2)
1. Departamento de Biología Vegetal, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Valencia, Av. Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n, 46100-Burjasot
(Valencia), Spain / 2. Corresponding author (juan.segura@uv.es) / Received July 29, 2004; accepted October 2, 2004; published online February 1, 2005
Summary
We developed procedures for in vitro cloning of Cedrus atlantica Manetti and C. libani A. Rich explants from juvenile and mature plants. Explant size was one determinant of the frequency of axillary bud break
in both species. Shoot tips and nodal explants mainly developed calli, whereas bud sprouting occurred in defoliated microcuttings
cultured on a modified Murashige and Skoog medium without growth regulators. Isolation and continuous subculture of sprouted
buds on the same medium allowed cloning of microcuttings from C. atlantica and C. libani seedlings and bicentennial C. libani trees, thus providing a desirable alternative for multiplying mature trees that have demonstrated superior characteristics.
We also report adventitious bud differentiation from isolated embryos of C. atlantica. Neither auxin treatments nor other methods tested, including infection with Agrobacterium rhizogenes, were effective in inducing root initiation.
Keywords:
Cedrus atlantica, Cedrus libani, isolated embryos, microcuttings, tissue culture.
