Study on hardening and acclimatization of micropropagated plants of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa duch.) cv. Chandler under Jammu conditions

The experimental plant material of Cv. Chandler was raised through tissue culture on Murashige and Skoog medium using vegetative buds as explants. The MS medium supplemented with BAP2.00 mg/l + GAJ 2.00 mg/l was used for shoot multiplication. The rooting was obtained on MS (half strength) medium fortified with IBA 1.00 mg/l and activated charcoal 200 mg/l. The in vitro rooted plantlets were hardened and acclimatized by using different treatments. Plants transplanted at the age of 4 weeks after root initiation gave maximum survival (100.00%) during transplanting. These plants were hardened in glass beaker and polythene bags singly or in cluster. The maximum survival during hardening (100.00%) was observed by covering the plantlets with glass beaker individually and kept in culture room. Out of various potting mixture tried, the potting mixture containing soil: sand and FYM (1:1:1 v/v/v) gave maximum height and survival of plantlets.