Preliminary results of using in vitro axillary and adventitious buds in mutation breeding of Chinese gooseberry

Summary Aseptically cultured shoots of Chinese gooseberry exhibited growth disorder and morphological aberrances, and some died after being exposed to sufficient gamma-ray irradiation. The death rate was dose dependant and the LD₅₀ was 80–90 Gy and 50–60 Gy respectively for cv. Hayward and clone 4. All petiole explants irradiated with gamma-ray could form calli as the control, but the rate of differentiation of adventitious shoots of the petiole explants decreased and was dependant on dose. Sensitivity of the shoot or petiole explants to gamma-ray irradiation varied with species. Gamma-ray irradiation did not deter either the 2-node segments from producing axillary shoots M₁, M₂, and M₃ or the advantitious shoots originating in the petiole explants and the M₃ shoots from forming advantitious roots. Therefore, using aseptically cultured axillary or adventitious buds for mutation breeding of Chinese gooseberry is feasible. A bacterium surviving in the explants lessened the efficiency of these two in vitro techniques in mutation breeding of Chinese gooseberry.Abbreviations IAA 3-indole acetic acid - IBA -indole butyric acid - MS Murashige & Skoog (1962)