<i>In Vitro</i>Conservation Tactics for a Sweet Genotype of <i>Amygdalus scoparia</i>, an Endangered Medicinally Important Tree Species by Propagation Using Synthetic Seeds

Bud stems arisen from in vitro cultures of A. scoparia were encapsulated in calcium alginate pieces for short term stockpile and germplasm interchange. The maximum frequency (88.96%) of conversion of encapsulated nodal segments into plantlets and the highest node number (7.20) was performed on a murashige and Skoog’s medium (MS medium) containing 2.2 μM banzyl adenine (BA). The highest length of re-growing shoots was achieved when MS medium was supplied with 2.2 μM BA and 0.5 μM NAA. However, the number of shoots produced was higher (5.30 and 5.10) on MS medium supplemented with 2.2 μM BA and 0.5 μM NAA and MS medium with 2.2 μM BA, respectively than on the hormone-free media. Treatment with 19.6 μM IBA resulted in the highest conversion of encapsulated nodal segments into plantlets. The frequency of conversion (89.6% - 88.6%) was retained at 25?C for up to 2 weeks without significant change. The highest frequencies (61.1%) of plantlet formation from encapsulated nodal segments were obtained by transferring synthetic seeds onto peat mass and perlite (2:1) (v/v) mixture substrate. When transplanted into the peat mass and perlite (2:1) (v/v) mixture, these plantlets showed greater plantlet high, leaf number, shoot number and root number per plantlet than those of the other substrates. The synthetic seed technology offered a promising way for short term storage without refrigerating, germplasm conservation exchange for improvement and an alternative clonal propagation method for this endangered genotype of A. scoparia.