Shoot Quality Research Articles

Simultaneous Treatment Effects in Learning Four Tennis Shots in Contextual Interference Conditions

This study investigated simultaneous treatments in contextual interference (blocked and random practice) and their effect on the process of learning four tennis shots. 8 tennis players participated in the research, which was carried out in two phases. The first phase involved a 3-wk. period of 12 sessions with 192 practice tennis shots per session for each tennis player. The second phase comprised 4 retention tests carried out at 48 hr. and 2, 4, and 6 weeks following the learning phase. This phase consisted of evaluating the retention of the skills that had been practiced during the learning phase. The results indicated an improvement in the quality of shots for both practice conditions during the learning phase. Differences in retention appeared relative to differences in the type of practice conditions (random or blocked) in which the skill was learned and also depended on the type of shot and the time that had elapsed since the learning period.

The Soccer Ball and the Goalkeeper

I'm going to tell anybody who wants to hear it the story of the soccer ball Fura-Redes, that is, Net-Puncher, and the goalkeeper Bil?-Bil?, or Chicken-Pen?a perfect little story, brief and crazy, as is life. The objective of all soccer balls is to make goals, and the ball Net-Puncher, as her name indicates, was one of the greatest specialists of the nation in the quantity and quality of shots on goal. Olympic goals, curving goals, folha-seca goals, goals de letra, goals shot from bicycle kicks, goals de -pla?a?all of them incomparable. On account of this she became known and acclaimed as the Magic Sphere, the Fantastic Goal-Maker, the Invincible Ball, and the Amaz ing Round One by the crazed commentators at their microphones, when they would watch her cross the field, pass by pass, to score once again a sensational goal. While the soccer ball Net-Puncher repre sented the greatest terror for goalkeepers, she was the passion of the strikers and those who com manded the attacks, as well as the great love of the fans. She was born to cross the goal line, bounce happily against the nets, and produce screams of battle and victory in the stands. Lustrous, light, and daring, the roundest of all balls, in spite of being very young, she soon became extremely popular because of me number of goals already chalked up (around six hundred), many in every game. She made several for Team A and several for Team Z, because Net-Puncher maintained an absolute impartiality when she appeared on the pitch. She scored goals for both teams, not protecting either one of them, as was correct and just. The team that was able to go on the attack more would make more attempts on goal. With her, the cannon legs didn't err in their shots, they didn't waste balls against the cross bar. However, being equally generous, having a heart of gold as she did, Net-Puncher didn't leave the other team with an empty plate; at least one July-August 2010 i 23 Translator's note:The language of Brazilian soccer is extensive, colorful, and peculiar to the country. A critical element in Amado's story is the use of frango (chicken)?in this case meaning a goal that should have been stopped? and frangueiro?an inept goalkeeper who allows frangos. The frangueiro's blunders are referred to as eating a chicken, swallowing a chicken, allowing a chicken to pass by, and other such expressions. One of the two main characters in the story is often called Cerca-Frango (that is, a goalkeeper who pens up the chickens), and I'm going to call him Chicken Pen. He's also known as Bil?-Bil?, which is the name of a popular caramel-covered Brazilian dessert. Jorge Amado was one of the most respected Brazilian writers of the twentieth century. His books have been translated into forty-nine languages and published in fifty-five countries. A life long soccer fan, especially of Ypiranga, in Bahia, and Bangu, in Rio de Janeiro, Jorge Amado died in Salvador, Brazil, in 2001. The 2008 edition of A bola e o goleiro carries colorful illustrations by Kiko Farkas, also a soccer enthusiast and prize-winning Brazilian graphic artist. little consolation goal would be conceded to them before the referee whistled, signaling the end of the game. Net-Puncher was proclaimed enemy number one of zeros on the scoreboard. Results of the games in which she played were testimonials to her impressive talent for making goals. "Little Round One" was the loving nickname given her by the King of Soccer. Scores were always high: five to four, seven to six, six to six. Or sometimes overwhelming victories: six to two, eight to three, five to one, when it became obvious there was a great difference in the quality of the two clubs? the champions, owners of the field, and their adversary, an inept team of the lowest level. Net-Puncher reached the highest point of her brilliant career: they talked about her becoming the official ball of the next World Cup. The...

THE INFLUENCE OF IMIDAZOLE FUNGICIDES ON MULTIPLICATION IN VITRO OF LOW VIGOROUS PEAR AND CHERRY ROOTSTOCKS

Low vigorous pear and cherry rootstocks, 'Pyrodwarf and 'Gisela 6', resp., were used as model plants in these investigations. The objective of these investigations was to study the influence of imidazole fungicides on multiplication of these two genotypes. The commercial chemical SPORTAK 45-E-450, which contains the active substance prochloraz (PRO), was used as the source of the imidazole fungicide. The experiment was performed during the multiplication phase. It involved the study of 19 types of media containing MS macro and micro salts, different PRO concentrations, BAP, IBA and GA 3 . PRO was used at 3 concentrations, either individually or combined with BAP, IBA and GA 3 . Multiplication parameters and FW/DW of shoots were checked. Individual or GA 3 or IBA combined application of fungicides had no effect on the multiplication of both rootstocks, but had influence on shoot rooting. The highest multiplication index and shoot quality were obtained on media containing PRO combined with BAP and GA 3 . The obtained results suggest that PRO not only induces shoot induction but also intensifies the effect of exogenous added BAP on in vitro multiplication of the 'Pyrodwarf and 'Gisela 6' and could be recommended for micropropagation of these rootstocks.

COMMERCIALLY FEASIBLE PROTOCOL FOR ROOTING AND ACCLIMATIZATION OF MICROPROPAGATED APPLE ROOTSTOCKS

This work was carried out to optimize a successful protocol for shoot rooting and acclimatization of tissue culture raised apple rootstocks of 'Malling' series. Root induction in dark in indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) containing MS medium and root elongation in medium without IBA provided the best results for in vitro rooting. Among various substrates tested for root elongation, agar was found better than perlite and sand. However, maximum rooting with good shoot quality was achieved, when liquid medium in place of agar solidified medium was used for root elongation. Rooted plantlets of about 5 cm long were subsequently transferred to different media for acclimatization. Plants grown in coco peat showed maximum survival as compared to those grown in soil containing medium. On the other hand, the in vitro elongated shoots could also be rooted ex vitro successfully in coco peat after inducing root initials in liquid medium in dark for simultaneous ex vitro root elongation and acclimatization. Nearly 95% hardening was achieved during the months of October to March in comparison to summer and rainy months. Plants transplanted to the field in March-April established more successfully as compared to rest of the period of the year. After six months, plants in the field showed satisfactory survival and growth. These plants were grafted with different varieties.

EFECTO DEL ANÁLOGO DE BRASINOESTEROIDE (MH5) EN LA ACLIMATIZACIÓN DE LOS BROTES DE Vriesea PROPAGADOS EN SISTEMAS DE INMERSIÓN TEMPORAL

Las bromelias son plantas ornamentales muy atractivas por la coloración de sus hojas y la belleza de sus inflorescencias. Dentro de ellas las Vrieseas es uno de los géneros de mayor interés comercial. Cuando se desean introducir nuevos híbridos en el mercado, las técnicas de propagación tradicional son insuficientes, por lo que resultan de gran interés las técnicas de propagación in vitro. Con el objetivo de establecer un protocolo para la aclimatización de brotes de Vriesea propagados in vitro en Sistemas de Inmersión Temporal se evaluó el efecto de la aplicación del brasinoesteroide MH5 en la supervivencia y calidad de los brotes. La integración de los resultados constituyen los procedimientos elementales para un protocolo de aclimatización de brotes de Vriesea propagados con el empleo de la técnica de inmersión temporal.

Optimization of horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum L.) somatic embryo conversion

Factors affecting conversion of horse chestnut (A. hippocastanum L.) somatic embryos into plantlets were evaluated. Anther filament derived embryogenic tissue developed bipolar structures with two cotyledons and a well-developed shoot and root apical meristem upon auxin omittance from the culturing medium. The impact of carbohydrate type (glucose, fructose, sucrose and maltose) and concentration (3 and 6%) on somatic embryo maturation and conversion were evaluated. Although conversion frequencies were high for all treatments, overall quality of regenerated plantlets was poor. Increasing the carbohydrate concentration in the maturation medium did not increase conversion of somatic embryos or quality of regenerated plantlets in terms of shoot height. On the contrary, addition of PEG (polyethylene glycol) in maturation media had a beneficial effect on shoot quality of regenerated plantlets. Sucrose was a superior carbon source when PEG was included in the maturation medium, in terms of conversion rate (65.7%) as well as of shoot quality of plantlets (43.8% of plantlets had shoots >2 cm). Clonal fidelity of the different development stages of somatic embryogenesis and of converted plantlets was assessed by flow cytometry and no major ploidy changes were found.

Thidiazuron-induced high-frequency plant regeneration from leaf explants of Paulownia tomentosa mature trees

Attempts were made to study the effect of thidiazuron (TDZ) on adventitious shoot induction and plant development in Paulownia tomentosa explants derived from mature trees. Media with different concentrations of TDZ in combination with an auxin were used to induce adventitious shoot-buds in two explant types: basal leaf halves with the petiole attached (leaf explant) and intact petioles. Optimal shoot regeneration was obtained in leaf explants cultured on induction medium containing TDZ (22.7 or 27.3 μM) in combination with 2.9 μM indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) for 2 weeks, and subsequent culture in TDZ-free shoot development medium including 0.44 μM BA for a further 4-week period. The addition of IAA to the TDZ induction medium enhanced the shoot-forming capacity of explants. The caulogenic response varied significantly with the position of the explant along the shoot axis. The highest regeneration potential (85–87%) and shoot number (up to 17.6 shoots/explant) were obtained in leaf explants harvested from the most apical node exhibiting unfolded leaves (node 1). An analogous trend was also observed in intact petiole explants, although shoot regeneration ability was considerably lower, with values ranging from 15% for petioles isolated from node 1 to 5% for those of nodes 2 and 3. Shoot formation capacity was influenced by the genotype, with regeneration frequencies ranging from 50% to 70%. It was possible to root elongated shoots (20 mm) in basal medium without growth regulators; however, rooting frequency was significantly increased up to 90% by a 7-day treatment with 0.5 μM indole-3-butyric acid, regardless of the previous culture period in shoot development medium (4 or 8 weeks). Shoot quality of rooted plantlets was improved not only by IBA treatment but also by using material derived from the 4-week culture period. Regenerated plantlets were successfully acclimatized in the greenhouse 8 weeks after transplanting.

Effects of Amino Acids Replacing Nitrate on Growth, Nitrate Accumulation, and Macroelement Concentrations in Pak-choi ( Brassica chinensis L.)

A hydroponic experiment was carried out to determine the influence of replacing 20% of nitrate-N in nutrient solutions with 20 individual amino acids on growth, nitrate accumulation, and concentrations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) in pak-choi ( Brassica chinensis L.) shoots. When 20% of nitrate-N was replaced with arginine (Arg) compared to the full nitrate treatment, pak-choi shoot fresh and dry weights increased significantly ( P ≤ 0.05), but when 20% of nitrate-N was replaced with alanine (Ala), valine (Val), leucine (Leu), isoleucine (Ile), proline (Pro), phenylalanine (Phe), methionine (Met), aspartic acid (Asp), glutamic acid (Glu), lysine (Lys), glycine (Gly), serine (Ser), threonine (Thr), cysteine (Cys), and tyrosine (Tyr), shoot fresh and dry weights decreased significantly ( P ≤ 0.05). After replacing 20% of nitrate-N with asparagine (Asn) and glutamine (Gln), shoot fresh and dry weights were unaffected.Compared to the full nitrate treatment, amino acid replacement treatments, except for Cys, Gly, histidine (His), and Arg, significantly reduced ( P ≤ 0.05) nitrate concentrations in plant shoots. Except for Cys, Leu, Pro, and Met, total N concentrations in plant tissues of the other amino acid treatments significantly increased ( P ≤ 0.05). Amino acids also affected total P and K concentrations, but the effects differed depending on individual amino acids. To improve pak-choi shoot quality, Gln and Asn, due to their insignificant effects on pak-choi growth, their significant reduction in nitrate concentrations, and their increase in macroelement content in plants, may be used to partially replace nitrate-N.

Is optimal vision required for the successful execution of an interceptive task?

The importance of optimal visual function in demanding interceptive tasks is far from established. The aim of the study was to determine whether induced myopic blur and hence sub-optimal visual function would give rise to a detrimental effect on performance in the execution of an interceptive task. The batting performance of grade level cricket players was assessed facing a bowling machine whilst wearing contact lenses of four different refractive conditions (plano (nil), +1.00, +2.00 and +3.00D over-refraction), inducing increasing amounts of myopic blur. Performance for each condition was assessed based both on the shot quality against each delivery judged by a qualified cricket coach blind to each condition, along with an evaluation of the quality of ball–bat contact for each delivery. No significant change was found in batting performance with the introduction of +1.00 and +2.00D of induced myopic blur. A +3.00D over-correction was required before any significant decrease in batting performance was detected, demonstrating that batters needed to be essentially legally blind (as simulated through the use of the +3.00D over-refraction) before there was any significant measurable decrement in batting performance. We concluded that optimal visual correction is not necessarily required for optimal performance in a demanding interceptive task, and that the human perceptual-motor system is capable of compensating for marked alterations in input.

Factors affecting rooting of in vitro shoots of walnut cultivars

SummaryFactors affecting the rooting of in vitro shoots were investigated using precocious walnut (Juglans regia L.) cv. Xinzaofeng. In vitro sub-culture was the most important step to achieve rooting of the shoots. Rooting of shoots was markedly affected by the method of induction, 3-indole-butyric acid (IBA) concentrations, light conditions, as well as shoot quality. Rooting rates of ≥ 75.4% were obtained with an optimised rooting protocol in which vigorous shoots were sub-cultured 45-times at 20 d intervals. These shoots appeared tender, with small leaves. A transfer method of root induction was applied and shoots were first induced on a semi-solidified, diluted Walnut Specific Medium (1/4 DKW) with 25 µM IBA in the dark for 12 d at 25° ± 3°C, then cultured on semi-solidified 1/4 DKW medium plus vermiculite, without IBA, with a 16 h photoperiod (53 µmol m–2 s–1). This protocol was extended to five other walnut cultivars, and rooting rates of ≥ 60.5% were achieved in all cases.

CROWNED APPLE TREE DEVELOPMENT IN THE NURSERY AND THEIR BEHAVIOUR IN THE ORCHARD IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS AFTER PLANTATION

The investigations were made in the fruit nursery o f the joint stock company Fruit Nurseries. It was studied the production technology of apple trees of knip-baum type and their later development in a superintensive orchard of the farm I. Sitari. There were studied the varieties Idared, Golden Del icious Reinders, Jonagold Boerekamp Early Queen, Granny Smith, Jonagored, Gloster and Campion grafted on the M 9 rootstock. It was established that the grade of striking of th e bench grafts of the varieties from the first fiel d of fruit nursery was 96,0-99,0 %, the scions' height was 94- 126 cm. In the second field the obtained results co rrespond to the first category of the actual standards and h ave the tree height of 166-189 cm, trunk diameter - 16,5-17,2 mm, the quality of sylleptic shoots - 4,5-11,0 piec es/tree and to the average length of the apple tree s. The first obtained yield in the orchard in the first year aft er plantation was 0,16-1,30 t/ha, in the second yea r, depending on the variety, was 4,80-11,60 t/ha.

Effects of ethylene and 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on lignification of postharvest bamboo shoot

The effects of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) and ethylene on quality and lignification of postharvest bamboo shoot ( Phyllostachys praecox f. prevernalis.) were examined during storage at 20 °C. Disease incidence and respiration rate of control bamboo shoot increased, while total sugar (TS) content decreased quickly. Reducing sugar (RS) content and ethylene production increased at first and then decreased quickly. Increased shoot firmness after harvest was positively correlated with higher lignin and cellulose contents. Accumulation of lignin in flesh tissue was also positively correlated with activities of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) and peroxidase (POD). Ethylene treatment enhanced firmness, respiration rate and ethylene production increase, promoted TS decrease, but retarded disease incidence. 1-MCP treatment resulted in lower firmness, higher disease incidence and TS content, inhibited respiration rate and ethylene production, delayed the activities of PAL, CAD and POD, and retarded lignin and cellulose accumulation. The present findings show that ethylene is involved in bamboo shoot lignification, and suggest that 1-MCP could be used commercially to control this important postharvest physiological disorder in bamboo shoot.

AGAR PHENOLIC IMPURITIES AFFECT THE BIOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE OF IN VITRO CULTURES

Agars with different performance for Rannunclus asiaticus L. shoots, were analysed for their phenolic impurities content. Two main phenolic impurities appeared to be related to the agar brand. The first impurity (3-hydroxyphenylacetic acid-HPA) was recovered only from Roth and Merck agars; the second one, 2-dihydroxybenzene, or catechol-CAT, was only released from Oxoid agar. The widely used MS tissue culture medium contains about 4630 mg/L salts. According to the analyses carried out for the phenols agar powder, an uncontrolled pollution of the culture media could be reached till 0.1-0.2% of the total salt content. The diffusion of these phenolic impurities in gel differed between agars and a different amount could be immobilized in the media: up to 35%, 47% and 61% respectively for Roth, Merck and Oxoid agar. Good performance was found when Ranunculus shoots were grown on Oxoid gels, with the lowest total phenol content, the absence of HPA and the presence of CAT. The biological tests carried out to evidence the influence of HPA and CAT on Ranunculus shoot growth, pointed out that HPA behaves as an inhibitor of shoot multiplication and induces poor shoot quality. CAT appears to stimulate a weak increase of performance in shoots grown onto MK and RT gels supplemented with this phenol.

Effect of partial ringing on the shoot growth, fruit yield and quality of peach.

Abstract The aim of this study was to understand the effects of partial ringing (bark removal) on tree size control and fruit quality of peach( Prunus persica Batsch cv. ‘Hikawahakuho’). Partial ringing (PR) was performed on the bark, 2 cm long leaving a connecting strip2 mm width on trunk. Bark was cut once (2 cm x 2 mm) or (8 cm x 2 mm) in experiment 1, cut once and weekly (2 cm x 2 mm) inexperiment 2. Shoot growth was lower in the partially ringed trees than the control. The bark growth resembled with the pattern ofshoot growth. Flower bud and fruit-set were higher in ringed trees than control trees. Tree circumference was higher above theringed portion than the lower part of the partially ringed trees. Moreover, pruned shoot weight was lower in partially ringed trees thancontrol trees (unringed). Fruit weight and maturity degree were higher in ringed trees than unringed ones. The results show that 97%ringed bark strip can be effectively used to make peach trees dwarf and good fruit quality.

The physiological responses of oak seedlings to warm storage

The effects of warm storage (15 °C) on the physiological responses and subsequent field performance of 2-year-old oak (Quercus robur L.) seedlings that had been cold (1–2 °C) stored until May were assessed. Shoot xylem pressure potential, shoot water content, shoot tip dry mass, root electrolyte leakage, and root growth potential were evaluated at regular intervals during the 21-day warm storage period. The date of lifting to cold storage had little effect on the physiological responses to warm storage. Root electrolyte leakage increased after 7 days of storage, despite the fact that root growth potential and survival were unaffected. Values then increased further before decreasing again by the end of the 21-day storage period to values similar to those recorded after 0 or 7 days of storage. Storage for up to 21 days greatly reduced root growth potential and shoot quality after planting in the field. The shoot xylem pressure potential of seedlings declined during the early stage of warm storage, but then increased to values similar to those recorded after cold storage. Shoot water content increased during the early storage period, then declined slightly, but values were higher after 21 days of storage than at the time of placement in warm storage. While most physiological responses fluctuated in a consistent manner, these changes were not necessarily predictable. Root growth potential was a good indicator of plant field performance potential, but the other physiological parameters were less useful to this end.

Development of in vitro methods for ex situ conservation of Eucalyptus impensa, an endangered mallee from southwest Western Australia

A method is described for in vitro propagation of the critically endangered ‘Eneabba mallee’ (Eucalyptus impensa) from southwest Western Australia. Half-strength MS medium supplemented with 0.25 μM 6-benzylaminopurine and 2.5 μM kinetin resulted in the best combination of shoot multiplication and shoot quality compared to other treatments. Shoots of this species tended to be very compact under in vitro conditions. Shoot length was significantly enhanced with the addition of 0.5 or 1.0 μM gibberellic acid (A4 isomer) when compared to basal medium (no hormone supplements) or basal medium containing only cytokinin (0.5 μM zeatin). Up to 97.0 ± 3.0% of shoots produced roots on 1/2 MS medium supplemented with a combination of 5 μM indolebutyric acid and 0.5 μM α-naphthaleneacetic acid. Over 70% of shoots transferred to potting mixture remained viable after 3 months. This study has significantly progressed ex situ conservation initiatives for Eucalyptus impensa.

Root herbivory reduces growth and survival of the shoot feeding specialist Pieris rapae on Brassica nigra

AbstractPlants may respond to herbivore attacks by changing their chemical profile. Such induced responses occur both locally and systemically throughout the plant. In this paper we studied how Brassica nigra (L.) Koch (Brassicaceae) plants respond to two different root feeders, the endoparasitic nematode Pratylenchus penetrans Cobb (Tylenchida: Pratylenchidae) and the larvae of the cabbage root fly Delia radicum L. (Diptera: Anthomyiidae). We tested whether the activities of the root feeders affected the survival and development of the shoot feeding crucifer specialist Pieris rapae (L.) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) via systemically induced changes in the shoots. Overall, P. rapae larvae grew slower and produced fewer pupae on plants that were infested with root feeders, especially on plants infested with P. penetrans. This effect could not be attributed to lower water or protein levels in these plants, as the percentage of water in the controls and root infested shoots was similar, and protein content was even higher in root infested plants. Both glucosinolate as well as phenolic levels were affected by root feeding. Initially, glucosinolate levels were the lowest in root infested plants, but on P. penetrans infested plants they increased more rapidly after P. rapae started feeding than in controls or D. radicum infested plants. Plants with D. radicum feeding on their roots had the highest phenolic levels at all harvest dates. Our results indicate that root feeding can significantly alter the nutritional quality of shoots by changes in secondary metabolite levels and hence the performance of a specialist shoot feeder.

Effects of Modified Atmosphere Packaging on Selected Phenomena Affecting Quality of Fresh, Edible Bamboo Shoots

Changes in phenomena affecting quality of fresh bamboo shoots ( Dendrocalamus asper, Schultes f. ) due to modified atmosphere packaging were evaluated. After harvest bamboo shoots were peeled, and stored in the open (unpacked) or packaged in polyvinyl chloride wrap (thickness 5µm) or polypropylene bags (thickness 15 µm) at two different temperatures (9 and 28 o C) and shelf life was determined. Unpacked samples had very high weight losses (5% per day) at both temperatures limiting their shelf life to less than 2 days. Both types of packaging reduced water loss significantly (polyvinyl chloride: 0.5% per day at both temperatures, polypropylene: 0.09% and 0.14% at 9 and 28 o C respectively). Samples stored at room temperature started to discolor within 1-2 days while packed samples in the refrigerator showed the first signs of discoloration only after 5-7 days of storage. Refrigeration was also effective to inhibit fungal growth. Our results show that application of cold storage or packaging alone yield no, or only a limited extension of shelf life but their combined application yields a shelf life extension till 2 weeks.

In vitro organogenesis of Pelecyphora aselliformis erhenberg (cactaceae)

In vitro propagation of Pelecyphora aselliformis, a Mexican cactus which is considered rare and is highly valued in the commercial market, was initiated using seeds as explants. The longitudinal explants from seedlings germinated in vitro were cultivated on Murashige and Skoog medium containing 8.8 μM benzyladenine (BA) or 4.6 μM kinetin at pH 7.0. After 120 d, each explant gave rise to five shoots and this number of shoots increased 20–25% after subculture. The hyperhydricity was similar in both media, but callus formation was lower on the medium with BA. The shoot development, in terms of epicotyl length, and fresh and dry weight after 6 wk, was also recorded. The epicotyl length was similar on shoot-forming media but the quality of shoots was better on media containing BA. In about 1 yr, 500–600 well-defined shoots were obtained. The rooting of shoots was very slow and a vigorous radical system was observed after 1 yr of culture.

Clonal propagation of Turbinicarpus laui Glass & Foster, a cactus threatened with extinction

This work describes the in vitro propagation of Turbinicarpus laui, a Mexican cactus considered as threatened with extinction. In vitro cultures were initiated using seeds. Five shoots per explant of T. laui were obtained on MS medium with 2.2 μM benzyladenine and two shoots on medium with 4.4 μM benzyladenine (P < 0.05) at 40 days. Quality of shoot was recorded as percentage of callus and hyperhydricity. The presence of callus was similar in both media at 20 days, but a reduction was observed at 40 days. A higher number of shoots with low hyperhydricity was obtained on medium with 4.4 μM benzyladenine. The development of shoots (measured as increase on epicotyl length, and fresh and dry weight after 6 weeks) was similar in both media. A continuous increase (15 to 20%) of new shoots was observed after subcultures and in about 1 year 1,200 well defined shoots of T. laui were obtained. Rooting of T. laui shoots was observed on media MS containing 1% polyethyleneglycol and 1% activated charcoal and the survival of the plants to soil was 80%. The first flowering was observed after 2 years in greenhouse conditions.