Micropropagation of Rosa damascena Mill. from mature bushes using thidiazuron

An efficient protocol for micropropagation of Rosa damascena Mill. has been established using single node segments from mature bushes. The effect of thidiazuron has been compared with that of Nb-benzyladenine (BA) on in vitro shoot proliferation. The cultures initiated on medium supplemented with thidiazuron (TDZ) and/or cultured continuously on TDZ containing medium for 32-48 weeks exhibited considerably more shoot proliferation and growth during subsequent culture on a medium containing BA. Shoots induced on TDZ containing medium and then sub-cultured (8-12 times) on medium containing BA, attained the capacity to grow and proliferate: on a medium free from plant growth regulators (PGR). Microshoots from TDZ induced cultures could be rooted easily on indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) supplemented medium. A short treatment with IBA (100 muM; 12 h) was found to be very effective for root induction. The rooted plants were successfully transferred to pots after 15 d of hardening in a mist chamber with about 70% survival.