In vitro Propagation of Caprifig and Female Fig Varieties ( Ficus carica L.) from Shoot-tips

Abstract

Fig trees are threatened by the attack of Fig Mosa ic Disease (FMD) on leaves and fruits caused by viruses of several genera. Shoot-tip cult ure is a convenient method for viral sanitation. For this purpose, a reliable protocol f or rapid in vitro propagation was developed with shoot-tips of three major Tunisian l ocal fig ( Ficus carica L.) varieties Zidi (ZDI), Soltani (SNI), Bither Abiadh (BA) and one ra re and recalcitrant caprifig Assafri (ASF). For each in vitro step, four Murashige and Skoog (MS) media with dif ferent combinations of plant regulators were used. The bes t initiation of shoot-tips with sizes 0.5, 1 and 1.5 mm was obtained on medium M 3 containing 0.2 mg L -1 Benzyle Amino Purine (BAP), 0.1 mg L -1 1-NaphthaleneAcetic Acid (NAA) and 0.1 mg L -1 Gibberellic acid (GA 3 ). The variety (SNI) showed the highest shoot-tip i nitiation potentialities for the establishment step with 100% of explant development rate. The shoot multiplicat ion and plantlet development were provided by medium M 6 with 0.5 mg L -1 BAP and 0.1 mg L -1 NAA. The highest average of leaf number increase (9 2 leaves per plant) and proliferation rate (16.91 branches per plant) were reached on M 6 . The best rooting rate (83.34% ) was favored by medium M 11 with half-strength MS and 1 mg L -1 Indole-3-Butyric Acid (IBA). Ex vitro rooting of fig plantlets was successfully performe d on moist peat with success rate of 90% . The acclimatized fig vitroplants showed high esta blishment rates (92.1% ) and rapid growth on substrates S 1 composed by peat without symptoms of virus disease s or morphological abnormalities. Keywords: Acclimatization, Culture media, Explant size, Micro propagation.