MICROPROPAGATION OF HAZELNUT (CORYLUS AVELLANA L.)

A protocol for efficient micropropagation of hazelnut italian cultivar ‘Montebello’ and ‘Tonda Gentile Romana’ was developed. Bud sterilisation was performed with ethyl alcohol, NaOCl and Na mertiolate. DKW and MOLT (a combination of DKW and WPM media), supplied with 1.5 or 2 mg l^-1 BA, 0.1 mg l^-1 GA₃ and 0.01 mg l^-1 IBA, were the most efficient media for the proliferation phase. The best rooting response was obtained with 9.8 µM (2 mg l^-1) IBA applied for all the rooting period. This protocol allows to obtain high quality microplants, without necrosis or hyperhydricity phenomena, which can be easily acclimatised.