Regeneration from leaf segments of in vitro‐grown shoots of Malus baccata

Abstract

Adventitious shoot regeneration was investigated using leaf explants of in vitro cultured shoots of Malus baccata. Optimal regeneration was obtained using Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 4 mg/litre 6‐benzyladenine and 0.5 mg/litre α‐naphthalene‐acetic acid. Dark incubation for 10 days gave the best results of adventitious shoot regeneration. Sorbitol was proved to be the most suitable carbon source for shoot regeneration in M. baccata. gelling with either Phytagel or gelrite was more efficient than agar in shoot regeneration. The highest regeneration frequency was 97% and the greatest shoot number per regenerated leaf explant was 8.7. The addition of antibiotics Kanamycin or Hygromycin significantly reduced regeneration capacity in most instances. The development of the regeneration protocol in this study will facilitate the future transformation work in this species.