Several in vitro biotechnological techniques have been developed, all of which require a reliable protocol to produce a responsive callus mass. One of these techniques is callus fusion in vitro, which is reliable for the early detection of (in)-compatibility of the scions and rootstocks. In this paper the possibility of obtaining friable callus tissues is explored by callus induction of adult tissues of Japanese flowering cherry trees from the group Sato zakura (Prunus serrulata ‘Amanogawa’, ‘Kanzan’ and ‘Kiku-shidare-zakura’) and two domestic cherry rootstocks - Prunus avium and Prunus ‘Colt’. The explants used in research were: leaf petiole, leaf base with part of petiole, part of lamina with midvein and stem with axillary bud. Among three plant growth media (MS, SH and WP) that were used in this study, the MS proved to be the most favorable for the majority of taxons during the callus induction process. For the sweet cherry tree and the cultivars ‘Kanzan’ and ‘Colt’, the SH plant growth medium was also acceptable. The best results in callogenesis were obtained for the majority of taxons with the auxin at the concentration 2 mg/L NAA and the cytokinin BAP 0.5 mg/L. It is also possible to use 2.4-D at the same concentration as a substitute for the genotypes Prunus avium, Prunus ‘Colt’ and Prunus serrulata ‘Kanzan’, whereas IBA proved to be an inappropriate auxin for the callus induction. The protocol described could be used for efficient callus induction in a range of taxa of genus Prunus.

 

*******************************************

This abstract was accepted to be presented at the conference entitled “40 Years of Horticulture Education in Cluj-Napoca†Cluj-Napoca, September 27, 2017, being included in ‘Book of Abstracts’ of this special-anniversary event (http://conference.shst.ro). All accepted papers will be published in a special issue of Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca journal.