Researches on micropropagation of chestnut

Abstract

This research was conducted with the aim to determine the propagation possibility of some chestnut hybrids and native cultivars and types through shoot tip and axillary bud culture between 1994 and 1998. MS, modified MS macro and micro elements or McCown's Woody Plant Basal Salt Mixture, were used as culture media. BAP, IBA and thidiazuron were added to some media. The following results were obtained from the explants growing in a chamber regulated to 25+/-1 degrees C and 16 h dark / 8 h light period. Shoot tip culture did not give any positive result, but axillary bud culture had shown to be successful in some years. Especially the bud explants which were taken from the succulent shoots of the juvenile 1- year- old or 2-3 - month- old plants grown in greenhouse had burst, gave shoot and then could be multiplicated in the media. In many times no good result had been obtained from the studies with axillary buds taken from field grown trees (5-7 years old) at various times of the growing season. In these studies no bud had burst, but some of the explants formed only callus. The explants prepared that were taken from the shoots on 13(th) of October, then chilled for 40 days at 5+/-1 degrees C in the refrigerator, did not burst on the culture media which contained a high level of BAP (2-10 mg l(-1)). However some of the explants produced callusing. In the view of these studies, it could be stated that the most important factor in chestnut micropropagation is the juvenility of the explant source.