112 The Influence of Plant Growth Regulators and Light Levels on Shoot Morphogenesis from Leaf Explants of Highbush Blueberry

• Published in: HortScience Vol. 34; no. 3; pp. 460 - 461
• Main Authors: Cao, Xiaoling, Hammerschlag, F.A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.06.1999
• ISSN: 0018-5345; 2327-9834
• DOI: 10.21273/HORTSCI.34.3.460F

As part of a program to develop transgenic highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.) cultivars, studies were conducted to determine optimum conditions for high efficiency shoot regeneration from leaf explants of in vitro-propagated shoot cultures. The effect of either thidiazuron at 1 or 5 μM, or zeatin riboside at 20 μM, and two lit levels (18 ± 5 or 55 ± 5 μmol·m -2 ·s -1 ) on shoot organogenesis were investigated. With the exception of `Bluecrop', which did not regenerate shoots, maximum shoot regeneration of 13, 12.7, 12.6 and 4.6 shoots per explant for cultivars Duke, Georgiagem, Sierra, and Jersey, respectively, occured on regeneration medium with zeatin riboside and under a light intensity of 55 μmol·m -2 ·s -1 . Whereas `Duke' regenerated equally well on regeneration medium with either zeatin riboside or 5 μM thidiazuron, regeneration frequencies for `Georgiagem' and `Sierra' were significantly higher on zeatin riboside. A light intensity of 55 μmol·m -2 ·s -1 significantly increased regeneration of cultivars Duke, Jersey, and Sierra on zeatin riboside, but inhibited regeneration of Duke on 5 μM thidazuron.