MICROPROPAGATION OF ´ECHO´ CULTIVARS OF EUSTOMA GRANDIFLORUM

Abstract

Four sorts of 'Echo' cultivars ('E. White', 'E. Rose', 'E. Blue', 'E. Blue Picotee') were used to investigate shoot multiplication on Murashige and Skoog (1962) basal medium with 11 g/L agar and 20 g/L sucrose. To test the effect of BA different concentrations were added: 0.10, 0.25 mg/L and a culture medium without BA served as control. Differentiation of roots was examined on Jambor-Benczur and Marta (1990) basal medium with the same concentration of agar and sucrose. NAA in different concentrations: 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 was added in order to study the rooting procedure. The pH was adjusted to 5.6 in every case using KOH. We studied the post effect of different concentrations of BA on acclimatisation of 'Echo' cultivars. During the multiplication, the cultivar 'E. White' developed the highest number of shoots and the smallest leaves on medium with 0.10 mg/L BA. Reduction of the shoot number and increase in the length of leaves occurred on the medium without BA. The other three cultivars developed the longest leaves on medium containing 0.10 mg/L BA. The highest percent of roots was found on medium with 1.0 mg/L NAA, and the cultivar 'E. Rose' developed the most roots on this medium. Higher concentrations (2.0 and 3.0 mg/L) of NAA already reduced the number of roots at all of the cultivars. We managed to acclimate the plants following the multiplication phase. The tallest plants with the longest leaves were collected from the proliferation medium containing 0.25 mg/L BA, and the tallest plants with the longest leaves were found in case of 'E. Blue Picotee' on this medium.