Propagation of Rootstock Tree Production in Greenhouses by Seed, Stem Cuttings and Tissue Culture to Accelerate Budded Tree Production for Outplanting

Propagation of Rootstock Tree Production in Greenhouses by Seed, Stem Cuttings and Tissue Culture to Accelerate Budded Tree Production for Outplanting

Report Date: 10/31/2016
Project: 940C   Year: 2016
Category: Other
Author: Richard Beeson
Sponsor: Citrus Research and Development Foundation

Tissue culture. The last set of hardening off of tissue culture plants started on 5-25-2016 and were subjected to the same 4 durations of relative humidity (RH; 2,3,4 and 5 days) as previously. Plants were harvested on 13 July for root and shoot growth. Citrus cultivars consisted of Kuharske, Swingle, C-35, sour orange and US 812. For the most part, survival rates have high on most cultivars, with perhaps more growth under the shorter hardening-off periods. During the last 2 hardening off periods, tissue culture plantlets were placed along side of traditional stem cutting. For both trials, rooting success of tissue culture plants under common mist systems after 6 weeks was ~100%, with growth of both shoots and roots matching or exceeding that of traditional reductions in relative humidity. Stem cuttings. Cuttings of Kurharske, C-54, C-35, US 812 and sour orange were treated with 4000 ppm Dip&Gro on 28 April and 20 May. These last two sets of cutting were harvested 30 June and 21 July 2016. This completed 1 year of initiating the rooting of cutting every 3 weeks. Root development and growth was similar to that in 2015- high. Plants were dried at 70C. Measurement of root growth and dry mass is continuing for both tissue culture and stem cuttings. On June 28 & 29, available cuttings of the UFL HLB resistant trees of 7, 9, 10, 11 and 12 were dipped in the 4000 solution of Dip&Gro and stuck in the same peat:perlite mixture. Most shoots were rooted by 6 weeks and removed and watered by hand. On August 17, rootstock shoots of US812, US1281, US1282, US802 and US1284 were offered by Alico. They were also made into cuttings and stuck using the 4000 ppm Dip&Gro. Some such as US812, had functional roots within 3 weeks. Over 4500 cuttings of these desirable root stocks were propagated by mid-October for distribution to nurseries.


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