TESTING OF DIFFERENT IRON SOURCES AND CONCENTRATIONS ON SHOOT MULTIPLICATION OF BLACKBERRY (Rubus fruticosus L.)

The aim of this work was to evaluate shoot multiplication of two blackberry (Rubus fruticosus L.) cultivars 'Black Satin' and 'Loch Ness' on two culture media: Murashige & Skoog (MS) and its modification Murashige & Skoog Van der Salm medium (MS VDS) which differ only in iron source (FeNaEDTA, FeEDDHA, respectively). Statistical analyses showed no significant difference in shoot multiplication between different iron sources for both tested cultivars. For 'Black Satin' it was shown that double concentration of chelates FeNaEDTA and FeEDDHA in culture media negatively affected on shoot growth and multiplication. These results can be very useful for further optimization of micropropagation process for different Rubus cultivars.