In vitro meristem cloning of Eucalyptus tereticornis Sm.

Rapid multiplication of axillary meristems and direct shoot development occurred from nodal explants of mature Eucalyptus tereticornis Sm. with 5.3 μM NAA, 1.1 μM IAA and 4.4 μM BA in Murashige-Skoog medium. Repeated subcultures of the second generation shoot cultures into low cytokinin-auxin containing media (0.44-0.88 μM BA+0.1 μM NAA) yielded axillary microshoots in large numbers. Half-strength MS liquid medium with 4.9 μM IBA, 5.5 μM IAA and 5.3 μM NAA for four days, half-strength semi-solid hormonefree MS medium with charcoal, and MS liquid medium without charcoal and hormones, in sequence, induced rooting of shoots in the dark. This system is suitable for the mass propagation of this difficult-to-root eucalypt.