INTENSIVE PROPAGATION PROCEDURE OF FICUS LYRATA BY IN VITRO CULTURE

To overcome this bottleneck in the propagation procedure, a micropropagating method was devised, modifying previously existing methods.

Explants were taken from leaves including the main vein and laid on a specially devised medium containing the components of basal medium of Nitsch and Nitsch (1969), to which benzyladenine (BA), 2-isopentenyladenine (2iP), kinetin and indolebutyric acid (IBA) were added.

After some weeks of incubation, the callus that developed slightly on the cut edges of the explants sprouted out vegetative buds, from which shoots developed very abundantly.

Within three months elongated shoots could be harvested and, after appropriate rooting procedure, could be planted as fully developed plantlets.

Ficus lyrata usually is propagated by shoot cuttings.

Dimensions of stock plants are considerable and require rather large space in a glasshouse whose heating is obviously expensive in cool climates.

An alternative method of vegetative propagation has been proposed by Debergh and De Wael (1977) using an in vitro technique. This induces adventitious shoot sprouting on the cut edges of foliar explants. In our experience, however, this method was not repeatable and only callus developed from explants excised according to this protocol. An alternative protocol using leaf explants has been devised and is hereafter reported.

Stock plants, several year old, should be kept vigorously growing by providing enough light, heat, and humidity (16 hr photoperiod, 48.8

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