Protocols for Micropropagation of Woody Trees and Fruits

CHAPTER 34
MICROPROPAGATION OF PRUNUS DOMESTICA
AND PRUNUS SALICINA USING MATURE SEEDS
L. TIAN AND S.I. SIBBALD
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Southern Crop Protection and Food Research
Centre, 1391 Sandford St., London, Ontario Canada N5V 4T3;
E-mail: tianl@agr.gc.ca
1. INTRODUCTION
European plum (Prunus domestica L.) and Japanese plum (Prunus salicina L.) are
two major fruit species among Prunus plants. These two species are widely grown
across the world and are important economic plants (Okie & Ramming, 1999;
Bellini et al., 2002; Kaufmane et al., 2002; Szabo & Nyeki, 2002; Capote et al., 2006).
European plum and Japanese plum are related but they are different in several
aspects: The fruits of these two plum plants mature at different times during the
season depending on varieties, have different appearances and colours, have different
textures, and share different markets. The genetic composition of these two species
is also different. P. domestica is a hexaploid plant; however, P. salicina (and many
other plum species), has a diploid genetic background (Scorza et al., 1995; Okie &
Ramming, 1999).
In this chapter, plant micropropagation of both European plum and Japanese
plum using epicotyls and hypocotyls of mature seeds is described. The protocol has
been used for propagation of various varieties of both species.
2.1. Explant Preparation
2. EXPERIMENTAL PROTOCOL
2.1.1. Sampling from Mother Plants
Harvest fruit from mature European and Japanese plum trees as early as three weeks
before full maturity of the fruit. Shoot induction efficiency may decrease when
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S.M. Jain and H. Häggman (eds.), Protocols for Micropropagation of Woody Trees and Fruits, 373–379.
© 2007 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC).