Reinvigoration treatments for the micropropagation of mature chestnut trees

Abstract

Crown material from five adult chestnut trees was given different reinvigoration treatments, such as 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) applications (spray or pulse) to forced cuttings, and jure nile grafting alone or combined with BA sprays, then used for the establishment in vitro. The in vitro performance, in terms of establishment, multiplication and rooting, of both untreated and treated material was compared. Grafting alone or in combination with BA spray greatly increased the in vitro reactivity of crown-derived explants. By combining in vivo pretreatments and a horizontal reculturing system, crown-derived microshoots exhibited maximum rooting rates, similar to those found for cultures from basal shoots of the same tree in previous work.