Growing Turanga, Populus diverisifolia Schrenk seedlings under natural conditions by in vitro method in the zone of Almaty region, Kazakhstan

Turanga is one of the most valuable native species growing in Almaty region and plays an important role in this region in maintaining ecological balance and fighting desertification. Taking into consideration increasing threats to the natural habitats of this species and limitations of traditional propagation methods, this study was aimed at developing an efficient protocol for in vitro propagation and adaptation of Turanga seedlings to natural conditions of the Almaty region. In this study, young explants prepared from mature trees in the region were used to establish in vitro cultivation. Optimization of the hormonal composition of the culture medium at different stages of regeneration and rooting was carefully studied, and finally a comprehensive protocol for gradual hardening of seedlings was designed. According to the quantitative results obtained during this study, sterilization treatment with ۲% sodium hypochlorite for ۱۵ minutes showed the best results, maintaining ۸۵% of the viability of the explants and keeping the contamination level at ۱۲%. During the regeneration stage, the hormonal combination containing ۱.۰ mg L-۱ BAP and ۰.۱ mg L-۱ NAA showed the highest efficiency (average ۵.۲ shoots per explant). During the rooting stage, the ۰.۵ mg L-۱ IBA treatment was found as the most effective treatment with an average root length of ۴.۸ cm. Final evaluation in the natural field after three months clearly showed the survival of ۷۵% of the seedlings and their significant growth in height (۱۶.۸ cm), number of leaves (۱۲.۵), and stem diameter (۳.۲ mm). This study has illustrated that in vitro propagation of Turanga together with a principled hardening protocol is a practical and efficient solution for mass production of seedlings adapted to natural conditions of the Almaty region.

کلیدواژه ها:

Turanga ، In vitro cultivation ، Adaptation ، Reforestation ، Almaty region