A method for micropropagation of Cornus wilsoniana: An important biofuel plant

Cornus wilsoniana Wangerin is cultivated in China as an important biofuel plant due to its high oleic and linoleic acids derived from fruit. Recently, high yield cultivars have been developed, and there is increasing need for vegetative propagation of these new cultivars for commercial production. This study establishes a method for micropropagation of a selected new cultivar Xiang Lin G1 through shoot culture. Shoots were collected from field-grown 'Xiang Lin G1'. After surface sterilization, shoot explants were cultured on Driver and Kuniyuki Walnut medium (DKW) supplemented with 300 mg L−1 polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), 0.5 mg L−1 zeatin, and 0.1 mg L−1 indole-3-butyric acid. Axillary bud break occurred and more than 4 shoots were produced per explant. The axillary shoots could either be used as explants for additional shoot production or be rooted in DKW medium containing 300 mg L−1 PVP and 1.0 mg L−1 potassium salt of indole butyric acid. Resultant plantlets were transplanted into a substrate and grew vigorously in a shaded greenhouse under a maximum photosynthetic photon flux density of 200 μmol m−2 s−1. Since the propagation is based on existing meristems, no somaclonal variants were observed in the micropropagated population. This established method could lead to rapid propagation of the high yield cultivars on a year-round basis and quickly increase their production hectares.