Pomegranate: In vitro Propagation and Biohardening

Availability of large number of disease free genuine planting material is a major constraint in expanding area under pomegranate cultivation for which tissue culture can be explored as an alternative tool to fulfil the demand for elite planting material. In the first part of the study an efficient in vitro propagation protocol for pomegranate cv. G-137 (a superior clone of “Ganesh”) has been developed. Improper hardening of in vitro raised plantlets leads to high field mortality and poor growth of plantlets which act as a hurdle in popularization of in vitro propagation in pomegranate. So, in the second part of the study four different arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) strains namely, Glomus mosseae, Acaulospora laevis, Glomus manihotis and a mixed AMF strain were used as biohardening agents to improve survival and growth of in vitro raised pomegranate plantlets. The above said AMF strains were also used in this study to enhance the performance of pomegranate hardwood cuttings in terms of high success rate and subsequently improved growth, physiological and biochemical attributes of cutting derived plants.