Establishing surface sterilization protocol for clonal apple rootstock MM106

Abstract

Surface sterilization is crucial in preparing viable and uncontaminated explants for tissue culture. Utilizing the right sterilizing agent in this procedure can efficiently eliminate the majority of surface contaminants. The present study aimed to establish the best sterilization procedure for clonal apple rootstock MM106 using shoot tips and nodal segments. Two important sterilizing agents, mercuric chloride (ranging from 0.05% to 0.3%) for various durations (2 to 6 minutes) and sodium hypochlorite (ranging from 3.0% to 12%) for different durations (10 to 30 minutes), were employed. The results indicated that the maximum aseptic conditions (80.00% and 80.67%) and survival rates of the cultures (60.66% and 67.33%) for shoot tips and nodal segments, respectively, were achieved through surface sterilization with 0.1% mercuric chloride for 4 minutes, specifically during April, in comparison to March and May of 2021 due to low phenol content and high meristematic activity. The results yielded valuable insights for efficiently propagating clonal apple rootstocks on a local scale, and they have the potential to offer guidance for establishing commercial facilities dedicated to producing these specific clonal apple rootstocks and varieties.