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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #196065
Title: Root Induction of Pinus sylvestris L. Hypocotyl Cuttings Using Specific Ectomycorrhizal Fungi In Vitro

Author
item NIEMI, KAROLINA - UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI
item Scagel, Carolyn

Submitted to: Protocols for Micropropagation of Woody Trees and Fruits
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/28/2006
Publication Date: 10/1/2007
Citation: Niemi, K., Scagel, C.F. 2007. Root induction of Pinus sylvestris L. hypocotyl cuttings using specific ectomycorrhizal fungi in vitro. In: Jain, S.M.,Haggman, H., editors. Protocols for Micropropagation of Woody Trees and Fruits. Berlin: Springer. p. 147-152.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Genetic improvement of Scots pine by means of conventional breeding is hampered by the long generation time of the species.Traditionally, the production of clonal material for Scots pine has been based on grafting. However, in seed orchards established using grafting it takes more than 15 years to produce a sufficient number of seeds and requires expensive labour. In vitro micropropagation of Scots pine using axillary buds induced on seedlings or cotyledons excised from germinated embryos as explants has succeeded at the research level. In practice, the rooting phase has proven problematic particularly because of genotypic variation in the ability to form roots and increased potential for plagiotrophic growth. In nature, Scots pine lives in symbiosis with specific ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi. Root structure is strongly modified by ECM symbiosis and the formation of lateral roots may be stimulated. The importance of ECM fungi in the growth and morphology of roots has resulted in an increased interest to use them as promoting agents in adventitious rooting. This book chapter described an in vitro method to induce adventitious roots in Scots pine hypocotyl cutting by inoculating them with specific ECM fungi. This method has a potential to be used for root induction of micropropagated shoots in vitro.