Optimal Propagation and Rooting Mediums in Rubus spp. by in Vitro Micropropagation

Abstract

Rubus spp. is a shrub-form plant known for its fruits called blackberries. Blackberries are plants with high commercial value, delicious taste, nice aroma, and high nutritional value. Turkey has wealthy genetic origins of Rubus species. Conventionally, the trading propagation of Rubus plants is done as vegetatively, utilizing truncation, rooting, or stratuming. However, these traditional methods are time-consuming and inefficient in virus-free plant production. Cloning of plant grown in the tissue culture also enables to obtain virus-free plants and to provide fast replicating high standard plants. Rubus obtained by micropropagation is used for the formation of commercial fruit plantations as well as source plant formation. In this work, the aim is the development of in vitro micropropagation process of the wild Rubus in the Trakya Region. Proliferation from axillary buds was made by adding BAP (6- Benzylaminopurine), NAA (Naphthalinacetic acid) and GA3 (Gibberellic acid) in various combinations and concentrations to the MS medium. Rooting was successfully realized with 83.3% rooted plants in 1 IBA medium. No roots were seen in 0 MS. The survival rate of plants transferred to ex vitro conditions was 100%.