In vitro rhizogenesis and ex vitro adaptation of pear cultivars regionalized in Belarus

The objects of study were 7 pear cultivars zoned in the Republic of Belarus including 6 cultivars of Belarusian selection (Belorusskaya Pozdnyaya, Kupala, Prosto Maria, Spakusa, Yasachka, Kudesnitsa) and introduced cultivar (Talgarskaya Krasavitsa). At one-stage rooting of pear cultivars, the use of DKW medium with a reduced concentration of macrosalts (¼), microsalts (½), iron (60 mg/l Ferric-EDDHA), sucrose (2 %), supplemented with 1.0 mg/l IBA allows to obtain 27.0 % of rooted plants of cv. Belorusskaya Pozdnyaya, 43.0 % of cv. Kudesnitsa, 73.0 % of cv. Prosto Maria, 33.0 % of cv. Talgarskaya Krasavitsa, and 63.0 % of cv. Yasachka. For cultivars Kupala and Spakusa, the use of 0.2 mg/l IBA provides 89.0 and 90.0 %, respectively, rooted plants without formation of soft callus at the base of shoots. The use of two-stage rooting schemes (dark phase (7 days) on MS agar medium with concentration of macrosalts (½ or ¼), microsalts (½), sucrose (2 %), IBA (3 or 5 mg/l), and subsequent cultivation under illumination (6 weeks) on a hormone-free medium of the same mineral composition as in dark phase, with or without vermiculite) allows obtaining the high percentage of rooted microplants in all cultivars. The efficiency of ex vitro adaptation of pear regenerated plants was 92.9–100.0 % when using a sterile peat : agroperlite (1 : 1) substrate. The number of adapted plants of pear cultivars can be increased by planting in the substrate not only in vitro rooted regenerated plants, but also plants that did not produce roots when cultivated on medium containing IBA. For cultivars Spakusa, Kupala, Yasachka 79.0–88.0 % of unrooted microshoots produced roots when planted in sterile substrate. For cultivars Talgarskaya Krasavitsa, Kudesnitsa, and Belorusskaya Pozdnyaya rooting rate varied from 18.0 to 25.0 %, for Prosto Maria – 44.0 %. 

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