Micropropagation of early cabbages

Abstract

Seven genotypes of early cabbages (Brassica oleracea var. capitata), that represent prospective material for further breeding, were tested for their ability to regenerate shoots in vitro. Lateral buds from plants grown in the open field were used as explants. They were incubated on Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) media supplemented with 1.0 and 2.0 mg l-1 of benzyladenine (BA) or 6-furfurylaminopurine (KIN) in combination with 0, 0.2, 0.5 and 1.0 mg l-1 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). The BA-supplemented media were optimal for both growth and multiplication of shoots. The R4 genotype had the highest multiplication index (MI) 8.96 on medium supplemented with 1.0 mgl-1 BA and 0.2 mgl-1 IBA, while the genotype R11 had the lowest MI 1.07 on medium with 2.0 mgl-1 KIN and 1.0 mgl-1 IBA. Rooting was performed in a media with different concentration of sucrose (2 and 4%) in combination with 0, 0.5 and 1.0 mgl-1 IBA. Shoots rooted maximally (100%) on all media and there was no statistical important influence of medium composition on rooting. Rooting plants were successfully acclimated and grown in greenhouse.