Meristem culture of Acacia mearnsii

Abstract

The Black Wattle (Acacia mearnsii) is aneconomically important forest tree hence the need forefficient methods of amplification and clonalpropagation of superior trees. To overcome maturationeffects and the number of diseases infecting thewattle, rejuvenated tissue such as apical meristems,can be used. Meristems were taken from 30-day-old in vitro grown plants, from coppice (rejuvenatedtissue) and adult material from trees of fivedifferent ages over two seasons. Meristems from the coppice and adult material was successfullydecontaminated. Shoot production was obtained bymeristems from in vitro grown plants, coppiceand adult material, irrespective of plant age, onsolidified Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium alone orsupplemented with 2.0 mg l−1 benzyladenine,half-strength MS and Woody Plant Medium (WPM), underlight or dark culture conditions. The age of theparent tree, from which plant material (adult orcoppice plant material) was obtained, did not have asignificant effect on the degree of shoot production.Apparently the use of coppice material was notnecessary as shoot production from the meristems takenfrom the adult material was equal, if not greater,than that obtained by meristems from the coppicematerial. Adult trees, of different ages, weresuccessfully rejuvenated through the use of meristemculture.