Micropropagation and synthetic seed production in hicaznar (Punica granatum L.) pomegranate variety

In this study, research was conducted on the in vitro micropropagation of the widely cultivted "Hicaznar" pomegranate variety in our country, focusing on the encapsulation of shoot tip explants. In the first stage, micropropagation experiments were carried out using different concentrations of BAP (0.0, 1.0, 2.0 mg l-1) in MS nutrient medium, resulting in the highest multiplication rates obtained from the MS medium containing BAP (1.0 and 2.0 mg l-1) (4.04 and 4.89 shoots per plantlet, respectively). In the second stage, two different experiments were conducted for the production of synthetic seeds through the encapsulation of explants with sodium alginate (3%). In both experiments, the non-encapsulated control group, the experimental group coated with sodium alginate, and the experimental groups that were coated with sodium alginate and stored at +4°C for 45 days were cultured in MS nutrient media containing BAP (0.0, 1.0, 2.0 mg l-1). In Encapsulation Experiments-1, the shoot and multiplication performance of non-encapsulated shoot tips was found to be higher compared to the coated groups. In Encapsulation Experiments-2, a sodium alginate solution containing BAP (1.0 mg l-1) was used, differing from Encapsulation Experiments-1. Upon evaluating the results, it was determined that the Hicaznar pomegranate variety, encapsulated with sodium alginate (3%) containing BAP (1.0 mg l-1), achieved a germination rate of 86.30%, providing healthy growth for in vitro shoot tip explants in the control MS nutrient medium.