Effect of explant type and surface sterilants on asepsis and survival culture for callus induction in peach

For the optimization of surface sterilization of explants and their in vitro establishment for callus, aseptic culture and survival of explants were measured. The present study was carried out to investigate the influence of explant type, various surface sterilants and their exposure time on the establishment of explants for callus induction in peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch). The leaf disc and intermodal segment explants taken from newly growing twigs of peach cultured on MS medium supplemented with BAP (0.5 mg/L) + 2, 4-D (2 mg/L) for callus induction after surface sterilization with various surface sterilents. The overall results suggested that the best sterilization treatment for culture establishment in peach explants was sequential exposure of explants to ethanol (70%) 30 second + HgCl₂ (0.1%) 3 minute + NaOCl (1.0%) 3 minute resulting 63.34 per cent aseptic culture with 80.00 per cent survival of explants in both leaf disc and internodal segment comparatively suitable among all the five treatments. Further increase in exposure time to various sterilants resulted in significant reduction in survival of explants. Hence, ethanol (70%) 30 second + HgCl₂ (0.1%) 3 minute + NaOCl (1.0%) 3 minute was used for surface sterilization of explants in peach for establishment of explants for callus induction.