MICROPROPAGATION OF VACCINIUM CORYMBOSUM L. AND CORYLUS AVELLANA L. USING A TEMPORARY IMMERSION BIOREACTOR SYSTEM

In this work we aimed to develop an effcient micropropagation protocol for highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L. ‘Duke’) and hazelnut (Corylus avellana L. ‘Tonda di Giffoni’) using the Plantform bioreactor. The influence of different quantities of the culture media (300 ml, 400 ml and 500 ml/bioreactor) was tested for both species. The immersion time was one at every hour lasting for 1 minute and aeration was once/hour lasting for 4 min each. Our results show that highbush blueberry had the highest proliferation rate (6.20±0.81) in the bioreactor containing 500 ml of the culture medium while the longest shoots (4.19±0.25 cm) were recorded in the bioreactor with 400 ml of the culture medium. Hazelnut had the highest proliferation rate (0.93±0.07) in the bioreactor containing 400 ml while the longest shoots (3.13±0.49 cm) were measured in the bioreactor containing 500 ml medium. The highest rooting percentage (77.78%) in hazelnut was recorded in the bioreactor containing 400 ml medium