Tissue culture of Afghan pine for introduction into arid environments

The Afghan pine, Pinus eldarica Medw., is native to the near East (Russia to Pakistan). It is adapted to alkaline, well-drained soils and tolerant to heat and drought, making it well suited for the desert southwestern U.S. This pine has multiple uses as Christmas trees, as windbreaks, in landscapes, for biomass, as fuelwood, and for pulp-wood production. The afghan pine averages 4-5 growth flushes every year and can grow as much as four feet in height each year. There are indicators this pine species has potential for introduction into other arid regions of the world. A significant factor hindering the exploitation of the Afghan pine is limited availability of seeds. Methods of propagation through tissue culture would be desirable as alternative means of supplying stock materials of afghan pine selections. Various meristematic explants from seedlings and trees were cultured on modified half-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium and incubated with long days or continuous light at 25 grados C. Combinations of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and kinetin (K) elicited direct adventitious bud formation from cotyledons and multiplication of shoot number in shoot-tips. Callus was obtained using 1-naphthaleneacetic acid or IBA with 6-benzylaminopurine (BA). Callus was transferred to IBA/K media and then to hormone-free medium, and this media sequence was repeated. Depending on the stage of developmental competency of the tissue, the IBA/K media elicited either de novo shoot bud formation or shoot and needle development, while the hormone-free medium elicited either early stages of shoot bud development or shoot elongation. This system is reproducible and has yielded shoots from callus as old as 18 months. Preliminary histological examination suggests callus is unorganized prior to shoot regeneration. The procedure will be discussed relative to its potential as a model system for achieving totipotency from cultures of conifers, and the concomitant potential for utilization of cellular tools for genetic improvement of important trees

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	105050 Phillips, G.C. New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces, N.M. (EUA). Dept. of Horticulture, 95949 Mora Poltronieri, H. ed., 12546 Interciencia Association, Washington, D.C. (EUA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnológicas San José, Costa Rica 6120, Symposium Biotechnology in the Americas. Applications in Tropical Agriculture San José (Costa Rica) 14-17 Jul 1985
Format:	biblioteca
Published:	San José (Costa Rica) 1985
Subjects:	PINUS, CULTIVO DE TEJIDOS, INTRODUCCION DE PLANTAS, PINUS ELDARICA, ZONA ARIDA,
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