Embryo germination and proliferation in vitro of Juglans regia L.

This paper presents the optimal culture conditions for the in vitro embryo germination and proliferation of Juglans regia L. rootstock cv. Peralta, selected by the IMIDA fruticulture team. J. regia L. rootstock cv. Peralta is characterised by its resistance to salinity, lime and by its vigour. The first experiment determined the best culture medium for in vitro embryo germination. The Murashige and Skoog medium (MS; Murashige, T., Skoog, F., 1962. A revised medium for rapid growth and bioassays with tobacco tissues cultures. Physiol. Plant. 15, 473–497), the medium developed by our team for walnut (NGE), the Lloyd and McCown medium (WPM; Lloyd, G., McCown, B., 1981. Commercially feasible micropropagation of mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia, by the use of shoot tip culture. Proc. Plant Prop. Soc. 30, 421–427) and that of Driver and Kuniyuki (DKW; Driver, J.A., Kuniyuki, A.M., 1984. In vitro propagation of Paradox walnut rootstock. HortScience 19 (4), 507–509), were compared, all without growth regulators. The best germination percentage was obtained in WPM (81%) with significant differences between the different media. In the second experiment, the optimal benzylaminopurine and indole butyric acid concentrations were determined for the proliferation stage of the explants obtained in the first experiment. The proliferation rates obtained varied from 0 in the medium without cytokinins to 6 in the medium with 0.5 mg l−1 BAP. The cluster proliferation quality and other parameters studied indicate that the optimal treatment was 0.5 mg l−1 BAP.