The Use of Zeatin to Initiate in Vitro Cultures of Vaccinium Species and Cultivars

Abstract

Explants of mature pot-grown Vaccinium corybosum L. cultivars were tested for initiation of new shoots using two growing conditions and four cytokinin treatments. Initiation tests with 12 genotypes showed significantly higher rates of new shoot growth on modified woody plant (MWPM) medium with 4 mg zeatin/liter at 25C under low light intensity than on any other treatment. Explants at 25C in light with 10 or 15 mg 2iP/liter initiated at a moderate rate, but significantly lower rates were found for all controls and at 4C in darkness. To determine the utility of zeatin for initiation of diverse genotypes, 96 Vaccinium accessions from the National Clonal Germplasm Repository, representing 22 species and 44 cultivars, were screened using 25C and low light intensity. Initiation rates higher than 60% were achieved for 89 of 96 accessions tested. Chemical name used: N6-[2-isopentenyl] adenine (2iP), 6-[4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-enylamino]purine (zeatin).