The effects of different explants, basal media and growth regulators on regeneration of carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.)

Abstract

Ceratonia siliqua L. is a slow growing evergreen tree of the family Fabaceae used for the rehabilitation of marginal and submarginal dry areas of the Mediterranean basin due to it’s resistant to drought and salt tolerance. In this study, the effects of different basal media (Woody Plant Medium and Murashige and Skoog medium), explant types (cotyledon and hypocotyl) and growth regulators (BA, Kinetin and NAA) on in vitro callus formation, differentiation of callus to shoot and root formation were investigated. High frequencies of caullogenesis were obtained and the best medium for callus induction was WPM supplemented with 1.0 mg L-1 BA + 0.5 mg L-1 Kinetin + 0.5 mg L-1 NAA and 0.5 mg L-1 BA + 1.0 mg L-1 Kinetin + 0.5 mg L-1 NAA for hypocotyl explants and 0.5 mg L-1 BA + 1.0 mg L-1 Kinetin + 0.5 mg L-1 NAA; 0.5 mg L-1 BA + 0.5 mg L-1 Kinetin
+ 0.5 mg L-1 NAA and 1 mg L-1 Kinetin + 0.5 mg L-1 NAA for cotyledon explants. Callus induction was more readily obtained from hypocotyl explants than cotyledon explants. It was determined that explant types as significant on shoot formation, statistically. The shoot ratio was obtained from cotyledon explants in WPM as 10%. The best regeneration was obtained from cotyledon explants placed on WPM (30%) instead of MS medium.