Large scale micropropagation of myrobolan b plum rootstock (Prunus cerasifera L.) in liquid culture

In this study, it is aimed to mass propagation of economically significant and important Myrobolan B (Prunus cerasifera L.) specie which is resistant to root rot disease and also which has several problems of rooting by common methods. New shoots derived from nodal explants on semi solid media were cultured in RITA bioreactors that contain MS medium supplemented with 30 g/l sugar, 0.7 mg/l BAP and 0.01 mg/l NAA to optimize micropropagation parameters. Inoculation density of 6 explants, immersion cycle of 20 seconds per hour, duration of subculture of 40 days, amount of media of 250 ml and optimum light intensity of 3000 lux were determined as optimum culture conditions for RITA bioreactors. Multiplication rate of 7.33, number of shoots per explants of 14.68 and vitrification rate of 8.33% were obtained from RITA bioreactors at optimum conditions. Single shoots of propagules from RITA bioreactors were rooted (91.67%). Shoots with well developed roots were acclimatized (91.11%) on turba: perlite (4:1) medium. To scale up the micropropagation process on RITA, 5l balloon type temporary immersion bioreactor was designed. Propagules with 2-3 shoots were cultured in balloon type temporary immersion bioreactors on same optimum culture conditions with RITA bioreactors. Some of important micropropagation parameters such as multiplication rate, number of shoots per explants and vitrification rates were determined with respectively 5.83, 11.7 and 25%. Percentage of rooting (98.33%) and acclimatization (91.11%) of shoots from balloon type temporary immersion bioreactors were obtained similar with RITA bioreactors.