AXILLARY BUD CULTURE OF PEACH

Sprouting buds 1,5 cm long of peaches cv 'Springtime' and 'Dixired' were surface sterilized with detergent for tissue culture glassware "7X" of Flow Laboratories, Domestos (sodium hypochlorite) and alcohol. After thorough rinsing (necessary to counteract the severe oxidation which leads to the leakage of polyphenols into the medium), the explants (2–3 mm) were planted on various kind of media: Zuccherelli's (1979) with 3.5 uM of BAP, Lepoivre and Quorin's (1979) with 5 uM of BAP and a modified MS again with 5 μM of BAP. The first two media were the most successful and led to the "rosette" form within ten days. Some callus formation was also noticed, but quick transfer to the following medium avoided disturbing development of callus. After proliferation the buds were transferred either to a basal medium or to media with different amount of GA₃ and 0,2% of activated charcoal. Elongation was problematic and again callus formation had to be avoided by transfer onto a basal medium. The plantlets thus formed could be transfer either to a rooting medium or to a proliferation medium in order to start again the cycle and increase the number of plantlets. The response of 'Dixired' was more prompt than that of 'Springtime'.