Plant tissue cultures from four Tuscan globe artichoke cultivars

AbstractThe aim of the study was to examine the possibility of propagating in vitro four of the most common cultivars in Tuscany (central Italy): Terom, Violetto di Toscana, Chiusure and Empolese. The first three belong to the "Violetti" group, while cv Empolese belongs to the "Romaneschi" group. Explants were cultured on an induction medium (IM), which is a modified MS medium consisting of nitrate concentrations reduced by one quarter, 0.8 mg L−1 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) and 0.2 mg L−1 3-indole butyric acid (IBA). Explants were then transferred to a proliferation medium (PM) consisting of the same basal medium together with 0.03 mg L−1 BA and 0.05 mg L−1 gibberellic acid (GA3). A rooting double-phase was then established. The pre-rooting medium (PRM), consisting of a basal MS medium with half strength nitrate concentrations, 0.5 mg L−1 indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and 1 mg L−1 paclobutrazol (PBZ) was used for two weeks. Over the next four weeks, a rooting medium (MR) was used, consisting of a basal MS medium with 2 mg L−1 β-cyclodextrin and 2 mg L−1 α-naphthaleneacetic acid sodium salt (NAA). The cv Empolese provided the highest number of proliferated explants and rooted plantlets using the method described