Produzione di semi sintetici di Capparis spinosa (L.). Innovazione e tradizione

The caper bush (Capparis spinosa L.) is a rupiculous species. It is widespread on rocky areas and it grows on different soil associations. Caper can be propagated from fresh seeds, gathered from ripe fruit, or by stem cuttings both methods with unsatisfying results, due to the low germination percentage and to the season-dependent answer of the cutting technique. The aim of the present research has been to evaluate the attitude, for caper in vitro propagules , to be encapsulated. Micro cuttings from in vitro plantlets, were dissected and put on two different Murashige and Skoog liquid media enriched with 4% sodium alginate and 1,4% di CaCl2 separately, for the encapsulation. The synthetic seeds (synseeds) obtained, were sown on to 4 different germination media with full and half strength salts concentration, enriched or not with 2.85 μM of IAA. After 20 days the following parameters were scored: viability, regrowth, number and length of the sprouted shoots, basal callus detection, conversion of the synseeds. The preliminary results evidenced the possibility, for caper microcuttings, to be encapsulated, and that the different regrowth and conversion responses were strongly influenced by the different media.