THE EFFICACY OF BENZYLADENINE IN OVERCOMING ENDOGENOUS FLUCTUATIONS IN SHOOT TIP CULTURE INITIATION

Although it is commonly recommended that shoot tip cultures be initiated from actively growing shoots, it has been demonstrated that shoot tips collected during the period of rapid shoot extension fail to produce shoot proliferating cultures. Shoot tips of Halesia Carolina and Malus `Golden Delicious' were collected at 2 week intervals from budbreak to summer dormancy and placed on medium containing 0, 4.5, 11.0, 22.5 and 44.5 uM benzyladenine (BA) to determine if elevated BA concentrations could overcome seasonal patterns of shoot proliferation potential (SPP). Both species reached maximum SPP 4 weeks post-budbreak (PBB), and exhibited a second window of high SPP during weeks 10 and 12. Elevated BA concentrations failed to overcome poor SPP exhibited by shoot tips harvested 6 to 8 weeks PBB. Shoot tips collected at 10 to 12 weeks PBB responded more favorably to higher exogenous BA concentrations than shoot tips collected at 2, 4, 6, or 8 weeks PBB. It appears as though seasonal fluctuations in SPP involve other endogenous factors in addition to cytokinins.