ISHS Acta Horticulturae 812: III International Symposium on Acclimatization and Establishment of Micropropagated Plants
SANITATION, ACCLIMATISATION AND ESTABLISHMENT, OF FRENCH TARAGON (ARTEMISIA DRANUNCULUS L. VAR. SATIVA) MICRO PLANTS |
| Author: | G.J. Minas |
| Keywords: | French tarragon, in vitro, meristem culture, mass-micropropagation |
| Abstract:
Optimum proliferation and production of micro plants for two cultivars ‘Local cv’ and the ‘Moscow cv’ of the medicinal and aromatic French Tarragon (Artemisia dranunculus L. var. sativa) in vitro obtained by culturing apical meristem-tips 0.5 mm long on modified MS (Murashige and Skoog, 1962) medium. The medium contained MS basic salts and vitamins, supplemented with 3% sucrose, 4.5 mg/L BAP, 0.009 mg/L IBA, 55.7 mg/L ascorbic acid and was solidified with 2.5 g/L phytagel. After planting of meristem tip cultures were incubated in the deep dark for the first two weeks to totally prevent the blackening of the tissues and halo formation, which facilitated the optimum initiation of the cultures. Cultures were transferred to a growth room with 16 to 8 h day night at light intensity 13.5 μmol m-2 s-1 and 23°C. Proliferation was on an average 3-fold per 2 weeks and progressively increasing as cultures matured. In vitro plant material tested with the molecular method ds-RNA and RT-PCR for viruses and viroids and by ELISA for viruses, Verticillium spp. and tests for other pathogens. Plantlets produced were undergoing two forms of hardening one in vitro by increasing the light intensity to 27 μmol m-2 s-1 for 2 weeks and one ex vitro in a micro fog at relative humidity (RH) progressively reduced from 95 to 55%. After these treatments micro plants were established well and transferred to glasshouse growing conditions. Using this method, considerable numbers of rooted in vitro micro plants free of visible genetic aberrations were produced after 6 months of culture initiation. This method is use for production of pathogen free and genetically uniform micro plants for immediate release to the growers. | |
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