Title: Comparative in Vitro Culture of White And Green Ash From Seed to Plantlet Production

Author: Van Sambeek , J. W.; Preece, John E.; Navarrete-Tindall, Nadia E.

Year: 2002

Publication: The International Plant Propagators Society, combined proceedings. 51:526-534

Abstract: In vitro procedures have already been reported for white ash (Fraxinus americana L.) to establish cut dormant seeds, force axillary shoot proliferation, and induce rapid rooting to produce clonal plantlets (Preece et al., 1987, Navarrete et al., 1989, Preece et al., 1989, Preece et al., 1995). Hypothetically, a production cycle from seed to greenhouse-acclimatized plantlets can be achieved in 24 to 28 weeks. Navarrete (1989) found no differences in proliferation rates among progeny for 12 open-pollinated families; however, differences were found among selected clones when rooting microshoots. We have established field plantings with white ash microplants that continue to show normal development and growth (Van Sambeek et al., 1995, Van Sambeek et al., 1999). We attribute our success with white ash to using the cut seed technique to germinate nonstratified seed (Preece et al., 1995), incorporating thidiazuron (TDZ) and benzyladenine (BA) with MS medium to induce axillary shoot proliferation (Navarrete et al., 1989; Bates et al., 1992), accelerating axillary shoot growth using liquid overlays, and pulsing with both indolebutyric acid (IBA) and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) to induce rapid rooting (Preece, et al. 1991).