IN VITRO PROPAGATION OF Lonicera kamtschatica

Abstract. The goal of this study was to elaborate a micropropagation protocol for Lonicera kamtschatica. Large-sized plantlets were obtained, with long axillary shoots and high proliferation rates by the use of cytokinin CPPU. The use of starch as a gelling agent is an element of novelty and it proved to be very effective and five times cheaper as compared to agar. The most suitable iron source for the in vitro culture of this species proved to be FeNaEDDHA (Sequestrene 138), whereas the microcutting types that yielded the highest multiplication rates were the 3-5 node lateral shoots. The axillary shoots were sucessfully rooted directly ex vitro in the acclimatization stage in floating perlite, which is a method routinely used at the Fruit Research Station Cluj