Evaluation rootstock, sucrose concentration and culture medium supporting systems in the micrografting and acclimatization of lime (Citrus aurantifulia)

Micrografting of lime were evaluated on four different citrus rootstocks; small-fruited sour orange, big-fruited sour orange, lime and lemon in four culture medium supporting systems including paper bridge, perlite and vermiculite supplemented with half MS and paper bridge supplemented with full MS each one with 60 or 75 g L-1 sucrose. Also, micrografted plantlets were evaluated in three beds including perlite, vermiculite, and perlite-vermiculite for acclimatization and growth. Statistical analysis of micrografting and acclimatization was done as factorial in a completely randomized design with 5 replications. According to independent treatments results, the most rate of successful micrografting of lime shoot tip was achieved on seedling rootstocks of lemon. Also, the best micrografting were observed at the highest concentration of sucrose at 75 gL-1media culture. In general, the most rate of successful micrografting of lime shoot tip was obtained on seedling rootstocks of lemon and big fruit sour orange in culture medium supporting systems of perlite and paper bridge with half MS containing 75 gL-1sucrose. After micrografting, the plantlets were transplanted from the in vitro to the culture medium. The highest survival rate and adaptation of micrografted lime based on the number of leaves and length of scion after 5 weeks was obtained with lemon and big-fruited sour orange rootstocks micrografted in paper bridge culture medium and transferred to the perlite- vermiculite bed.