Abstract:

The present study was undertaken to contribute to the continuous search for efficient in vitro protocols for the micropropagation of olive trees, with special focus on the Oueslati cultivar. It investigates the main factors involved in the micropropagation process, namely medium composition, growth regulators, rooting, and acclimatization conditions. It demonstrates that under particular conditions, the Oueslati cultivar displays a high capacity to proliferate. During the multiplication phase, the multiplication medium, which is a modification of Rugini medium with zeatin (1 and 2 mg L-1), yielded the highest multiplication rates, with an average of more than 9. Furthermore, almost 91% of the proliferated shoots rooted in 40 days when their basal parts were dipped in an IBA solution and transferred to an agar medium enriched with the same growth regulator. The acclimatization of the in vitro-derived plantlets was carried out under greenhouse conditions, which yielded a success rate of about 88%. The findings from the analyses of the anatomical and physiological changes during the acclimatization step, particularly in terms of photosynthetic activity and transpiration, indicated that the micropropagated plantlets acquired good acclimatization and total autotrophic capacity after 4 months of ex vitro conditions.

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