ISHS Acta Horticulturae 616: I International Symposium on Acclimatization and Establishment of Micropropagated Plants
APPLICATION OF SORBARODS AND FLORIALITE TO ROOTING OF CRITICALLY ENDANGERED TREE SPECIES TROCHETIOPSIS EBENUS |
| Author: | V. Sarasan |
| Keywords: | St. Helena Ebony, endemic, supporting materials, transplantation, micropropagation |
| Abstract:
Trochetiopsis ebenus (St. Helena Ebony) is a critically endangered (World Conservation Union, IUCN) tree from St. Helena, a South Atlantic Ocean island. The plant grows and multiplies slowly in culture. Roots produced at Stage III on agar based rooting media were thin and prone to damage whilst transplanting. From the plants rooted on agar-based media only 32% of the plants established under glasshouse conditions upon transplanting. Since the aim was to achieve a high rate of survival, a different strategy to achieve high transplantation rate was developed using supporting materials such as Sorbarods and Florialite in Stage III. Plantlets raised on Sorbarods and Florialite showed 73% and 90% survival respectively after 4 weeks. Plantlets raised on Florialite showed improved quality in comparison to plants grown on agar or Sorbarods. The implications of methods used are discussed in the context of conservation of endangered tree species, which pose problems in all stages of micropropagation. | |
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