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Micropropagation of Pear (Pyrus sp.)

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Book cover Protocols for Micropropagation of Selected Economically-Important Horticultural Plants

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 994))

Abstract

Elements of micropropagation include establishment of shoot tip cultures, proliferation, rooting, and acclimatization of the resulting plantlets. The wide genetic variation in Pyrus makes micropropagation challenging for many genotypes. Initiation of shoots is most successful from forced dormant shoots or from scions grafted onto seedling rootstocks to impose juvenility. Clean shoots are recovered after testing for contaminants at the initiation stage on ½ strength Murashige and Skoog 1962 medium (MS), at pH 6.9 for 1 week or by streaking on nutrient agar. Although pear species and cultivars are cultured on several well-known media, MS is the most commonly used. Our studies showed that multiplication and growth of shoots are best on Pear Medium with higher concentrations of calcium chloride, potassium phosphate, and magnesium sulfate than MS medium and 4.4 μM N6 benzyladenine. Pear shoots are often recalcitrant to rooting; however, a 5 s dip in 10 mM indole-3-butyric acid or naphthalene acetic acid before planting on basal medium without plant growth regulators is effective for many genotypes. Pear shoots store well at 1–4°C, and can hold for as long as 4 years without reculture. Cryopreservation protocols are available for long-term storage of pear shoot tips. Acclimation of in vitro-rooted or micrografted shoots in a mist bed follows standard procedures.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Clonal Germplasm Repository, Corvallis, USA

    Barbara M. Reed, Jeanine DeNoma & Joseph Postman

  2. Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University, Corvallis, USA

    Sugae Wada

Authors
  1. Barbara M. Reed
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  2. Jeanine DeNoma
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  3. Sugae Wada
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  4. Joseph Postman
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Barbara M. Reed .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , IVALSA/Istituto per la Valorizzazione, National Research Council (CNR), Polo Scientifico, via Madonna del Piano n. 10, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, 50019, Italy

    Maurizio Lambardi

  2. , Istituto per la Valorizzazione del Legno, National Research Council (CNR), n/a, Florence, n/a, Italy

    Elif Aylin Ozudogru

  3. , Department of Agricultural, University of Helsinki, 5 Latokartanonkaari Room C 130, Helsinki, 00014, Finland

    Shri Mohan Jain

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© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Reed, B.M., DeNoma, J., Wada, S., Postman, J. (2012). Micropropagation of Pear (Pyrus sp.). In: Lambardi, M., Ozudogru, E., Jain, S. (eds) Protocols for Micropropagation of Selected Economically-Important Horticultural Plants. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 994. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-074-8_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-074-8_1

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-62703-073-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-62703-074-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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