Obtaining callus and seedlings of Ulmus laevis – studies of their morphogenetic capacity and in vitro rooting of seedlings

Abstract

The development of a method to obtain callus of the European white elm, Ulmus laevis, may be a further contribution to the research on elm dieback. In the present study, a seed disinfestation method was developed to extract viable zygotic embryos. Different culture media and combinations of growth regulators were also tested to produce callus and seedlings of European white elm. The growth potential of callus in light and darkness was also investigated to determinate the exact weight gain over a specific period of time. The results of the experiments can be used as a tool for the rapid culture of callus and elm seedlings in large quantities without environmental influences. After selection of a suitable culture medium among those tested, WPM medium proved to be the most effective. It was shown that callus cultures grown in the presence of the regulators 4.646 µM/l kinetin and 4.440 µM/l 6-benzylaminipurine showed the highest quality, as did seedlings with the addition of 1.444 µM/l gibberellin A along with 4.440 µM/l 6-benzylaminipurine in the culture. Thidiazuron proved to be the compound causing rapid browning and subsequent tissue death.