Optimizing In-Vitro Culture Establishment of Peach (Prunus persica L.)
Plant tissue culture has become an essential tool in modern horticulture, offering reliable solutions for the propagation, conservation, and improvement of fruit crops. Among stone fruits, peach (Prunus persica L.) is highly valued, yet establishing clean and healthy in-vitro cultures remains a major challenge due to persistent microbial contamination. This research was undertaken to address that challenge by developing an effective and reproducible sterilization strategy for peach explants.
The study focused on 13 peach germplasm collected from diverse agro-ecological regions of Pakistan, reflecting the genetic and environmental variability of the crop. Nodal explants were selected and subjected to different surface sterilization treatments using ethyl alcohol, sodium hypochlorite, and double distilled water, followed by culture initiation on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with BAP (1 mg/L).
The findings clearly demonstrated that sterilization success is both genotype-dependent and protocol-specific. A combination treatment of 70% ethanol for one minute followed by 28% sodium hypochlorite for fifteen minutes resulted in 100% survival in several germplasm, including Early Green, 669 No.2, A7, 4.5, and Clark King. In contrast, explants treated with double distilled water alone exhibited severe fungal, bacterial, and even viral contamination, proving that water alone is insufficient for surface sterilization in peach tissue culture.
Notably, fungal contamination was highest in Florida King and Chaki Pakora, while bacterial contamination was particularly severe in 669 No.2 when ineffective sterilization methods were used. These observations highlight the importance of using combined chemical sterilants rather than relying on single or mild treatments.
This work provides practical value for researchers, commercial tissue culture laboratories, and horticultural programs working on peach and other woody fruit crops. By optimizing sterilization protocols, survival rates can be significantly improved, leading to more efficient micropropagation and stronger germplasm conservation efforts.
Ultimately, this research reinforces a key principle of plant biotechnology: successful in-vitro culture establishment depends on carefully optimized, evidence-based protocols tailored to both the species and the genotype. Such refinements play a vital role in supporting sustainable horticulture, crop improvement, and food security.
✍️ Author Contribution
Dr. Shabana Irum conceptualized the study, designed and conducted the experiments, and performed the in-vitro culture and sterilization protocols for peach germplasm. She was responsible for data collection, statistical analysis, and interpretation of results. Dr. Irum also prepared the original manuscript, including figures and tables, and contributed to revisions and final approval of the published version. Her work provided the primary scientific foundation for optimizing in-vitro culture establishment of peach (Prunus persica L.).
? Read the Full Research Article
The complete paper, including detailed experimental design and results, is available on ResearchGate:
Optimization Studies for In-Vitro Culture Establishment of Selected Peach (Prunus persica L.) Germplasm
? https://www.researchgate.net/publication/351327704_OPTIMIZATION_STUDIES_FOR_IN-VITRO_CULTURE_ESTABLISHMENT_OF_SELECTED_PEACH_PRUNUS_PERSICA_L_GERMPLASM