No abstract

A field experiment was carried out during the seasons of 2005 and 2006 at Orman Botanical Garden, Giza, Egypt to study the effect of some scarification treatments on germination parameters, endocarp constituents and the quality of doum (Hyphaene thebaica, L. Mart.) seedlings. The results indicated that endocarp punching or removal treatments slightly improved characters of germination and seedlings quality, which were significant in some cases, specially for punching treatments, while clefting the bare endocarp reduced such parameters to the minimal values in most cases of both seasons. However, the previous three treatments didn't obviously affect thickness, strength and chemical constituents of the bony endocarp. On the other hand, soaking in concentrated H 2 SO 4 , specially for 6 hrs., significantly improved germination (%), germination velocity, mean germination rate, germination rate index, vigour index and quality of the resulted seedlings; which assessed as first leaf length, root branchlets number/ seedling and aerial parts and roots fresh and dry weights. The least means for endocarp thickness, strength and chemical constituents were also referred to the acid scarification with concentrated H 2 SO 4 treatments. Hence, soaking the bare seeds of doum (Hyphaene thebaica, L. Mart.) in concentrated H 2 SO 4 for 6 hrs. can be recommended as a simple, cheap and quick way for high germination percent and good quality of seedlings.

Cuttings of Plumbago capensis from in vitro propagated stock plants (IV) had higher rooting percentage, roots number, roots length and leaves number than cuttings from conventionally propagated stock plants (CP). Sub-terminal cuttings from IV were better than terminal ones in rooting percentage. The best results were obtained from the sub-terminal cuttings rather than the terminal ones when using the IV cuttings. Terminal cuttings from CP were perferable than subterminal cutting.Terminal cuttings from two years old plants gave higher results than from one year old plants. Sub-terminal cuttings from one year old plants had more rooting percentage and leaves number than cuttings from two years old plants.For rooting percentage, it is better to use indole acetic acid (IAA) than indole butyric acid (IBA) with all cuttings except terminal cuttings from one year old plants. Higher roots number was found with IBA than IAA treatments for all cuttings.Both sub-terminal cuttings (IV) from one or two years old plants gave the best percentage of rooting (100%) when treated by 3000 and 4000 p.p.m IAA respectively. The greatest root number (80 roots/cutting) was formed on terminal cuttings (IV) from two years old plants with 3000 p.p.m IBA.

This study was carried out at the Ornamental Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University during two successive seasons; 2006 and 2007 aiming to find out the effect of NAA and IBA at 0,500, 1000 and 1500 ppm on rooting and growth parameters of Populus euramericana and Populus nigra cuttings. The results on Populus euramericana cuttings showed that NAA at 500 ppm gave the highest values of rooting percentage, number of roots/cutting, root length/cutting, fresh and dry weights of roots/cutting ,plant height (cm), number of leaves, fresh and dry weights of leaves /cutting. Whereas, NAA at 1000 ppm gave the highest values of stem diameter, fresh and dry weights of stem in both seasons.On Populus nigra cuttings the data indicated that IBA at 1000 ppm gave the best results of rooting percentage, number of roots/cutting, root length/cutting, fresh and dry weight of roots/cutting, plant height (cm), number of leaves; stem diameter, fresh and dry weight of leaves /cutting, fresh and dry weights of stem during the two seasons.

The experimental trial was consummated in the Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory at El-Zohria Botanical Garden, Horticulture Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture from 2010 to 2012. The aim of this study was to reach a well defined protocol for in vitro propagation of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis plant. Shoot tips and auxiliary buds of G. jasminoides were surface sterilized with 30% Clorox (®sodium hypochlorite as commercial bleach) for 25 min which gave the best results (100 % survival, 0.0 % contamination and (0.0 %) mortality of shoot tips and auxiliary buds. Explants were cultured on MS medium supplemented with 4.0 mg/l NAA for effective establishment . In the multiplication stage, 5.0 mg/l BA was favoured for the number of shoots. For in vitro rooting, 5.0 mg/l IBA was more suitable to form roots on G.jasminoides. After one month in a rooting medium, gardenia plants were transplanted into pots containing peatmoss and covered by polyethylene sheets. After one month, the sheets were removed and left for two weeks under plastic house conditions where 100 % of the plants survived.