Micropropagation of 'Norton' winegrape

Abstract

A method has been developed for micropropagation of the difficult-to-root winegrape cultivar 'Norton' (Vitis aestivalis). Plants were established in vitro from axillary bud cuttings of field-grown plants. Four levels of 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) and three levels of naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) were tested in a factorial arrangement for their effectiveness in promoting multiplication of shoots from single-node explants. Three levels of NAA and two concentrations of Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium were tested for their effectiveness in promoting rooting of shoot tips. The greatest number of shoots per axillary bud in combination with the greatest shoot length were produced with 4 μmol·L-1 [0.90 mg·L-1 (ppm)] BA. NAA had no effect on shoot multiplication. NAA was not required for in vitro rooting. All rooted plants survived the transition to soil.