ISHS Acta Horticulturae 544: IV International Walnut Symposium

THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT IN VITRO AND EX

VITRO TREATMENTS ON THE ROOTING
PERFORMANCE OF PERSIAN WALNUT (Juglans
regia L.) MICROSHOOTS
Authors:   Y.A. Saadat, M.J. Hennerty
Keywords DKW medium, Juglans regia L., root induction, root development,
:  IBA
Abstract:
Rooting is the main limiting factor in the micropropagation of Persian walnut
(>I>Juglans regia>/i> L.) due to the poor rooting capacity of this species. A
number of experiments were conducted to identify suitable procedures for
rooting of walnut microshoots. Rooting was done in two successive phases: A)
root induction and B) root development. In the first experiment root induction was
done on DKW medium (1/4-strength macronutrients) containing four different
concentrations of IBA or NAA (2, 3, 4 and 5 mgl-1) in darkness. After one week,
for root development, shoots were transferred to a mixture of hormone free
medium and vermiculite (20 ml of medium and 25 cm3 vermiculite). The
maximum rooting (37.5%) was obtained on medium containing 4.0 mgl-1 IBA.
Treatments containing IBA were better for rooting than those containing NAA. In
another experiment for root induction shoots were cultured on DKW medium
(1/2-strength macronutrients) containing 0.5 mgl-1 IBA and 3.0 gl-1 activated
charcoal for three weeks under lighted conditions. Then, the basal end of shoots
were dipped in talcum powder containing different concentrations of IBA and
were transferred to Jiffy-7 pots. Maximum rooting (23.25%) was obtained by
basal dip immersion of shoots in talcum powder containing 1.5% or 2% IBA. The
effects of other in vitro and ex vitro treatments were also studied. The best
results were obtained by culturing the microshoots on DKW medium (1/2-
strength macronutrients) containing 4.0 mgl-1 IBA for 9 days in darkness and
transferring to Jiffy-7 pots for root development without auxin treatment. Using
this procedure about 83% of surviving shoots in Jiffy-7 pots rooted, which is
applicable for mass propagation of Persian walnut. The use of Jiffy-7 pots
allowed rapid development of the root system and improvement in the quality of
plantlets (higher number of roots, presence of secondary roots), and root
development was synchronised with shoot elongation and development of new
leaves. On transferring the plantlets to the greenhouse their growth continued
and more than 90% of plantlets survived.