TISSUE CULTURE AND RAPID PROPAGATION OF HYBRID HAZELNUT (CORYLUS HETEROPHYLLA × C. AVELLANA)

The axillary buds in shoot were the available explant sources for initiation culture and rapid propagation of five genotypes derived from Corylus heterophylla × C. avellana hybrids. The mid May appeared to be the optimum collecting period for axillary buds with lower contamination and higher rate of in vitro sprouting. The basic medium was DKW for culture. Medium DKW supplemented with thidiazuron (TDZ) 1.5 mg L^-1+IBA 0.01 mg L^-1 was optimal for differentiation. The effective medium for rooting was 1/2 MS+NAA 0.1 mg L^-1 with the rooting rate of up to 90%. The survival percentage was 90% when the plants were transplanted in a medium consisted with vermiculite and peat.