The effect of different basic culture media micropropagation, meristem cultivation on cherry (Prunus avium L.) and it`s micrografting of virus-free scions

Traditional plant propagation, aside from being slow, can also lead to the spread of plant diseases, with viral infections being particularly concerning. To address these issues, the cultivation of meristems through in vitro culture and the development of micropropagation protocols are crucial tools. This study aimed to investigate the impact of different growth media and regulators on meristem cultivation in cherry cv. OSH using a factorial experiment design. Five culture mediums with various hormones were tested to determine the most effective combination for establishment percentage. The results showed that the WPM culture medium with a hormone concentration of 1 mg L-1 BA and 0.1 mg L-1 IBA had the highest establishment percentage (28%). Three culture media with ascorbic acid (1 mg L-1) were tested to determine the most effective combination for establishment of cherry meristem. The QL culture medium containing 1 mg L-1 of ascorbic acid and 1 mg L-1 of BA exhibited the highest meristem establishment percentage (2.6%). The MS medium with a hormone concentration of 2 mg L-1 BA and 0.2 mg L-1 IBA showed the highest shoot proliferation percentage (14.6%). Furthermore, the results of RT-PCR analysis indicated that none of the plant samples obtained from the meristem culture were infected with common cherry viruses (PNRSV and PDV). Successful grafting was achieved using scions of 1-2 cm in size on Maxma 14 rootstock. Overall, this study highlights the effectiveness of meristem culture in eliminating viruses from infected cherry plants, offering the potential to produce disease-free propagation material.