Micropropagation of a Casuarina hybrid (Casuarina equisetifolia L. 3 Casuarina glauca Sieber ex Spreng) following facilitated seed germination

A suitable protocol for micropropagation of Casuarina hybrid, Casuarina equisetifolia L. 9 Casuarina glauca Sieber ex Spreng (C. e. 9 C. g.), was developed. When seeds without seed coats were cultured on 4 germination media, the optimal seed germination percentage (91%) was obtained on 0.8% agar solidified water medium. Shoot multiplication was achieved by culturing 2-cm long epicotyls, excised from germinated seedlings, on MS (Murashige and Skoog 1962) basal medium supplemented with BA (6-benzylaminopurine) at 4.4, 8.8, 17.8 and 35.6 lM. The greatest percentage of axillary bud sproutings (87.5%), mean number of sprouts per explant (3.8), and shoot length (3.2 cm) were achieved on MS medium supplemented with 17.8 lM BA. MS medium supplemented with 4 different concentrations of IBA (indole-3-butyric acid) (4.3, 8.7, 13.0 and 17.4 lM) were used for rooting of in vitro grown shoots. The highest rooting percentage (65.6%), mean number of roots per explant (2.5) and mean length of roots per explant (1.6 cm) was achieved at 13.0 lM IBA. Rooted shoots grew well after transfer to a substrate of peat and pinebark (7:3) in the greenhouse.