RESEARCH ON PROPAGATION Melaleuca alternifolia Maiden & E. Betche ex Cheel A32.23 AND A26.218 CLONES BY TECHNIQUE IN VITRO

Abstract

Melaleuca alternifolia is a species that have essential oil rich in terpinene-4-ol. Melaleuca alternifolia A26.218 and A32.23 clones of have high content and quality of essential oils, recognized as technically advanced varieties by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. To quikly provide these clones into production, it is necessary to continue research and perfect in vitro propagation technique. The results of in vitro propagation of these clones showed that shoots expland were disinfested with Javel 5% for 10 minutes (the portion of clean sprouted explants is 74.44 - 77.78% after 3 culture weeks. The most appropriate medium for create shoot cluster is MS* (the concentration of NH₄NO₃ in MS* media is half MS media) + 1.0 mg/l BAP + 0.2 mg/l kinetin + 0.1 mg/l NAA (with 98.9 - 100% created shoot cluster, coefficient shoot multiplication of 5.05 - 5.16 times, 1.56 - 1.61 cm shoot height after 4 weeks of tissue culture). The most appropriate medium for stimulating shoot growth is MS* + 0.5 mg/l kinetin + 1.0 mg/l BAP + 0.1 mg/l NAA, the shoot jars is shaded for first one week, then illuminated at 1000 lux for remainder of the culture cycle (with 96.7 - 100% effective shoot rate, 2.58 - 2.71 cm shoot height, the shoot with good quality, after 4 weeks of tissue culture). The rooting medium is MS* + 1.0 mg/l IBA (96.7 - 98.9% rooting shoots, 4.17 - 4.73 roots per shoot, 1.59 - 1.65 cm root length after 3 weeks of tissue culture). In vitro plantlet of Melaleuca alternifolia clones are growed on substrate of 30% hunk rice husk and 70% of soil from layer B (rate of survival tree was 94.4 - 95.6%, with 25.23 - 25.70 cm height of tree, good quality tree after 3 months culture in nursery).