Abstract

Successful in vitro multiplication of Capparis spinosa was achieved on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with benzyl amino purine (BAP) at 0.8 mg/L. The highest shoot length (35.6 mm) was obtained with the use of 0.4 mg/L BAP and 0.2 mg/L 1-naphthaleneanacetic acid (NAA). Kinetin at 2.0 mg/L produced a multiplication rate of 9.7 microshoots per explants with an average shoot length of 21.3 mm. In vitro rooting was successfully achieved on MS media supplemented with different concentration of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), indole acetic acid (IAA) or NAA at various concentrations. However, rooting did not occur in the absence of IBA, IAA or NAA. A total of 85% survival was achieved when rooted explants acclimatized ex vitro using a mixture of 1 perlite: 1 peat. In another experiment, in vitro C. spinosa were successfully stored without serious losses by using MS medium supplemented with an appropriate concentration of osmoticum (sucrose, sorbitol, mannitol or glucose) at various concentration (0, 3, 6, 9 or 12%). Two types of plant material were used (in vitro plantlets and in vitro plantlets without tips). The results obtained show that the two type of plant material could be successfully maintained in vitro and optimum treatments were identified for each plant material. Further studies are still needed on medium term conservation to enhance the survival percentages of different plant material type.

Key words: Clonal propagation, Capparis spinosa, medium term conservation, carbon source, roots formation.