Optimization of Cytokinin and Auxin Applications for Effective In Vitro Micropropagation of Ziziphus spina-Christi (L.) Desf.

• Ali A Zainel1*, Ali Akram Mousa2

  Author

Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) Desf., a woody plant of considerable economic and ecological importance, continues to lack robust, standardized protocols for efficient in vitro multiplication. The present investigation was undertaken to optimize the hormonal regimen governing shoot proliferation and rhizogenesis in this species. Explants consisting of nodal segments were established on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium fortified with graded levels of cytokinins and auxins, and cultured under standardized environmental parameters within a completely randomized experimental design comprising five replicates per treatment. Statistically significant variation (p ≤ 0.05) emerged across the tested regimens. Superior performance in terms of bud initiation, shoot elongation, and overall biomass yield was recorded on medium supplemented with 1.0 mg L⁻¹ zeatin, whereas root proliferation, root elongation, and subsequent survival following acclimatization were maximized using 1.0 mg L⁻¹ indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). Collectively, these findings establish a reliable and reproducible micropropagation protocol with practical value for clonal mass propagation, ex situ germplasm conservation, and downstream biotechnological applications involving Z. spina-christi.

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