Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from immature fruits of Juniperus oxycedrus L. (Prickly Juniper)

The objective of this study is intensive and clonal propagation of Juniperus oxycedrus L. (prickly juniper) in vitro by somatic embryogenesis from immature fruits. In the initial phase, to induce somatic embryogenesis (SE), sucrose (30 g/l), L-glutamine (500 mg/L), gelrite (2.1 g/L) and 6 different plant growth regulator combinations [(1) BA (1 mg/L)+NAA (0.5 mg/L), (2) BA (1 mg/L)+IBA (0.1 mg/L), (3) KIN (2 mg/L)+NAA (0.5 mg/L), (4) KIN (2 mg/L)+IBA (0.1 mg/L), (5) BA (1 mg/L)+KIN (2 mg/L)+NAA (0.5 mg/L), (6) BA (1 mg/L)+KIN (2 mg/L)+IBA (0.1 mg/L)] were added in the Murashige and Skoog (MS), Driver and Kuniyuki Walnut (DKW) and Woody Plant Medium (WPM) basal media. The explants obtained from the immature fruits of J. oxycedrus L. were planted in Petri dishes as 5 pieces/Petri dish. Experiments were conducted with a total of 900 explants in 180 Petri dishes and were repeated at least twice. However, somatic embryogenesis induction from the immature fruits of J. oxycedrus L., the objective of the study, was not achieved. In order to guide future studies from the data obtained in the study, the formation interactions of the calluses obtained, and the reasons for the absence of somatic embryogenesis were examined. According to this; the effect of basal media on callus formation; WPM was the best with 82%, followed by MS with 43% and DKW with 28%.