Varietal Differences in Rooting Ability of In Vitro Subcultured Japanese Persimmon Shoots.

Abstract

In vitro rooting ability was investigated in 95 Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) cultivars and three other species by repeatedly subculturing shoots which were treated with a synthetic rooting hormone. Of the D. kaki cultivars, the 25 which failed to root were categorized as not having any potential to root. The remaining 70 which rooted to varying degree were classified into three groups, namely, low-rooting ability (31 cvs.), medium-rooting ability (23 cvs.), and high-rooting ability (16 cvs.). A relationship between rooting ability and tree vigor was noted, that is, the vigorous cultivars had better rooting percentages than had those which were less vigorous. The pollination constant and astringent (PCA) type cultivars were difficult to root. Japanese persimmons were classified into three types based on the relation between number of roots and the longest root.