Article

A successful micrografting technique for the almond cultivars (cvs) “Texas”, “Ferrastar” and “Nonpareil” was developed using in vitro germinated seedlings as rootstocks and axenic shoot cultures established from mature tree sources as microscions. In vitro germinated seedlings, which developed 14 days after culturing in the modified Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium, were decapitated and used as rootstock. Shoot culture initiation from three almond cvs (“Texas”, “Ferrastar” and “Nonpareil”) was successfully achieved by culturing mature shoot tips from forced nodal buds, about 4–6 mm, on a modified MS medium containing 1 mg·L^-1 benzyl adenin (BA). Slit micrografting on epicotyl and on hypocotyls were equally successful (83.3 % to 100 %). Grafting success was dependent on the rootstock type and lenght of the scion. Grafting success varied between 83.33 % and 100 % depending on the cultivar, when the scion contained 1, 2, and 3 nodes. When almond scions, about 1.5 cm long, were micrografted on germinated seedling and cultured on proliferation medium (PM), the mean shoot length was 19.84 mm, 16.50 mm, 26.93 mm for the cvs “Texas”, “Ferrastar” and “Nonpareil” respectively. Micrografts could be easily cultured on a hormone-free semi-solid MS medium and were potted out after 4 to 6 weeks of culture growth. Rooted micrografted plantlets were successfully acclimatized and transferred to potting mix with 100 % survival. Although low percentages of variation were obtained in tested cvs (3.70 %, 6.25 % and 10.2 % in “Texas”, “Ferrastar” and “Nonpareil”), molecular analysis showed that the developed micrografting technique produces genetically stable plantlets, at least up to 6 months of sub-culturing in cvs “Ferrastar” and “Nonpareil”. The described micrografting technique could be used for rejuvenation of shoot explants of mature elite almond cultivars and it also has potential use in the commercial production of other almond cultivars.