Protocols for Micropropagation of Woody Trees and Fruits

MICROPROPAGATION OF FIG TREE (FICUS CARICA) 415
Table 2. Plant growth regulator concentrations in MS medium used for shoot multiplication
of different fig cultivars.
Cultivar Growth regulator Reference
Berbera
Lampa
Sarilop
2.2 µM BA
1 mg L –1 IBA
1 mg L –1 GA3
5 mg L –1 BA
Nobre et al. (1998)
Hepaksoy & Aksoy (2006)
Table 3. Growth regulators and other substances added to a MS medium on rooting of different
fig cultivars.
Cultivar Growth
regulators
Other substances Reference
Berbera 2.5 µM IBA Nobre et al. (1998)
Lampa
Sarilop 1.2 and 2.5
µM IBA or
NAA
2.10. Acclimatization
100 g L –1 thiamine
2 mg L –1 nicotinic acid
12 mg L –1 pyridoxine
100 mg L –1 myo-inositol
3 g L –1 activated charcoal
Hepaksoy and
Aksoy (2006)
Substantial amounts of in vitro-micropropagated plants do not survive direct transfer
to the greenhouse or field conditions. The greenhouse and field have substantially
lower relative humidity, high light intensity, and aseptic conditions that are stressful
to the micropropagated plants compared to in vitro conditions. Most species grown
in vitro, including the fig tree, require an acclimatization process before transferring
them to the greenhouse as well as to the field. This practice ensures the high survival
rate and vigorous growth of in vitro plantlets when transferred to soil. Researchers
are successful in improving the survival index of in vitro fig plantlets during
acclimatization. A 90–95% survival rate was obtained for fig plantlets according to
the following steps.
1. Cultivation for 30 days in WPM medium without growth regulators.
2. Opening of flasks 3 days prior to transplanting to the greenhouse.
3. Increased light intensity (40 µM m –2 s –1 ) in the growth chamber.
4. Use of commercial substrate Plantmax ® from Eucatex, São Paulo – Brazil.
Plantlets of the ‘Bervera’ and ‘Lampa’ fig cultivars, acclimatized for 3 months in the
greenhouse by Nobre et al. (1998), produced fruit 2 years after transfer to the field.
Plantlets of ‘Roxo de Valinhos’, ‘Radotta’, ‘Uruguai’ and ‘Celeste’ cultivars produced
fruit 4 years after initiation of in vitro cultures Amaral (2002).