Adventitious shoot regeneration in peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch]

A method for adventitious shoot regeneration from leaves of micropropagated peach shoots has been developed. Apices were excised from in vitro shoot cultures of a seed-derived (juvenile) genotype (P16C15) and mature genotypes (Babygold 6, 842 Standard, San Giorgio and Yumyeong). Apices were cultured 21 days in the dark on a medium supplemented with 6-benzyladenine and alpha-naphthaleneacetic acid and then transferred to an auxin-free medium and incubated in the light for 21 days. The first four apical leaves were excised from these apices and cultured in the same way. During the dark incubation period, leaves developed a callus at the petiolar base. Adventitious shoots appeared on this callus after transfer to auxin-free medium and culture under light conditions. The morphogenic ability of the callus was maintained for several months.