Citrus are amongst the most important commercial group of fruit crops, worldwide. They are being cultivated in more than 100 countries, mostly in warm climates, including the Mediterranean region. In citrus, the choice of the rootstock is essential for the growth, nutrition and longevity of the tree and other characteristics of the scion’s performance. The behavior of six citrus rootstocks, Volkameriana, Citrumelo ‘Swingle’, Citrange ‘Carrizo’, Poncirus trifoliata ‘Serra’, P. trifoliata ‘Rubidoux’ and P. trifoliata ‘Flying Dragon’, in in vitro propagation was studied and compared for shoot proliferation and rooting. Nodal explants of three months old shoots were used in Murashige and Skoog medium with N6-benzyladenine (BA) for shoot proliferation and with naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) for rooting. The number of shoots, the shoot length and the number of leaves per explant were evaluated at the end of the proliferation phase. The rootstock Volkameriana showed the statistically significant higher number of shoots, shoot length and number of leaves per explant while all three P. trifoliata rootstocks showed the lowest numbers. The number of roots and root length per explants were evaluated at the end of the rooting phase. The rootstock ‘Swingle’ showed the higher number of roots per explant followed by ‘Flying Dragon’ and ‘Carrizo’. The rootstocks ‘Swingle’, Volkameriana and ‘Flying Dragon’ had significantly higher root length per explants compared to ‘Carrizo’ and ‘Rubidoux’. The genetic variability between the above rootstocks was also studied using the ISSR molecular markers. High genetic variability was observed and it was fluctuated between 0.29 (‘Serra’ and ‘Swingle’) and 0.60 (Volkameriana and ‘Swingle’).

 

 

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.