PRODUCTION OF NEW STRAWBERRY STRAINS VIA
ANTHER CULTURE

1- CALLUS PRODUCTION, SHOOT FORMATION AND TRANSPLANTS PRODUCTION

[53]

Mohamed¹, Nagwa. A.; R.M. Helal¹; Kh.A. Okasha¹ and M.E. Ragab¹

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out at the Tissue Culture Lab. of Strawberry and Non-Traditional Crops Center, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University from year 1998 to 2002 and completed at Zein El-Deen Strawberry Farm, Giza governorate. This study aimed to establish an efficient protocol for generating somaclonal  variations in strawberry via anther culture and selecting the promising ones for the strawberry breeding programs in Egypt. Closed flower buds of Capitola, Chandler and Camarosa strawberry cultivars at the uninucleate stage directly following meiosis were used. Gresshofe and Doy (GD) and Damiano (D) media were tested for callus production while Linsmaier and Skoog (LS) & Murashige and Skoog (MS) media were tested for callus differentiation. Callus was regenerated into shoots which was placed on rooted medium. Then plantlets were acclimatized in plastic house.  Transplants were planted in the nursery where runner formation, transplants production and quality were recorded. According to the yield performance (in the second paper), 10 strains from Camarosa, a strain from each of Capitola and Chandler were subjected to nursery trial in a randomized block design. Results indicated that using GD medium produced the highest callus weight. Camarosa planted on LS medium gave the highest percentage of callus regenerating shoots while Capitola gave the lowest values on the two media. Capitola and Chandler strains gave the highest number of main runners per plant after 90 days while five Camarosa strains had lower values than their original cultivars. Capitola and Chandler strains gave higher number of transplants per plant than their original plants. Camarosa strain No.2 produced higher number of transplants per plant than the original parent. Camarosa strain no.5 was thicker in crown diameter than the original plants.  Camarosa strains C1 and C2 had higher leaf fresh and dry weights while Chandler strain gave lower values than its original cultivar. Capitola strain recorded the highest value in fresh and dry weight of roots.