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Title: Shoot regeneration and plantlet formation by cascade huckleberry, mountain huckleberry, and in oval-leaf bilberry on a zeatin-containing nutrient medium

Author
item DEBNATH, SAMIR - Agri Food - Canada
item Barney, Danny

Submitted to: HortTechnology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/12/2012
Publication Date: 2/15/2012
Citation: Debnath, S.C., Barney, D.L. 2012. Shoot regeneration and plantlet formation by cascade huckleberry, mountain huckleberriy, and in oval-leaf bilberry on a zeatin-containing nutrient medium. HortTechnology. 22:106-113.

Interpretive Summary: The article describes the prodecures for the induction and multiplication of tissue culture of three wild mountain blueberry species using leaf tissues from established tissue cultures. The work expands on previous research that addressed tissue culture establishment and multiplication using side buds from these wild species.

Technical Abstract: A plant regeneration protocol was developed for Cascade huckleberry (Vaccinium deliciosum Piper), mountain huckleberry (V. membranaceum Douglas ex Hooker) and for oval-leaf bilberry (V. ovalifolium Smith) clones. The effects of zeatin concentrations (0, 4.6, 9.1 and 13.7 µM) and explant type (leaf and stem segment) on adventitious shoot regeneration were studied on a nutrient medium of low ionic concentration. Adventitious bud and shoot regeneration was greatly influenced by genotype, explant type and zeatin concentration. Zeatin at 9.1-13.7 µM supported best bud and shoot regeneration but at low concentration (2.3-4.6 µM), enhanced significant shoot elongation and produced usable shoots after one additional subculture. In another experiment, the three clones differed significantly with respect to multiplication rate of adventitious shoots. Oval-leaf bilberry and mountain huckleberry clones produced more and longer shoots than those of the casecade huckleberry clone. Increasing the concentration of zeatin in the culture medium increased shoot number per explant but decreased shoot height, leaf number per shoot and shoot vigour. Proliferated shoots were rooted on the same medium but without any plant growth regulators. Rooted plantlets were transferred on a 2 peat: 1 perlite (v/v) medium for acclimatization and eventually established in the greenhouse with 75-90% survival rate.