JOURNAL OF FOOD AGRICULTURE & ENVIRONMENT, cilt.10, ss.347-352, 2012 (SCI-Expanded)
Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus L.) has attracted attention because of many different usage such as fresh fruit production and processing material for medicinal and pharmacy industry. This study was carried out to obtain protocols for embryo culture of cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus L.). Cherry and black types of cherry laurel embryos were cultured on MS media. This study was organized in two stages. In the first experiment the effects of the hormone combinations BAP (1.0, 2.0, 4.0 or 6.0 mg/l) and IBA (0.5 or 1.0 mg/l) were investigated. Shoot formation was not observed in cherry type embryos. Shoot and root formation occurred from black type embryos but did not have enough length or quality for transfer to the acclimatization stage. Seedlings had rudimentary roots which did not show any growth even after their transfer to fresh media. The best hormone combination was 2.0+0.5 mg/l BAP+IBA for production of plantlets of both types. In the second experiment, two cold stratification times (30 or 60 clays) were applied to embryos. The interaction between cold stratification time and hormone combinations was found important. Embryo germnation rates and seedlings growth both increased in embryos stratified for 60 days. Embryos stratified for 30 days required high hormone concentration to continue to the next growth. Cold stratification and hormone combinations affected success in the growing and acclimatization stages. Embryo culture of cherry laurel prevented loss of material during the germination and shortened the time to obtain seedlings in the same season that the seeds were collected.