Preliminary investigation on the effect of natural “complex mixture” on the in vitro proliferation of two apple genotypes

Apple tree is one of the most important temperate species in the world, with over 5 million hectares of cultivated area and geographic spread (crops are present in more than 90 countries of the 5 continents). The reasons for such a success reside in the great suppleness and in the particular fitness for transport that made the apple one of the most accomplished examples of globalization of markets. Also, in Italy, the apple tree is one of the most important temperate yields, with stable production of 20-22 million quintals, which places our country at the top of the European ranking. One possible alternative to qualitatively and quantitatively increasing the production of apple plants can be sought in the micropropagation techniques, which despite its undoubted advantages still present some limits. The most representative limit is given by the low propagation rate that induces the researchers to resort to the use of phytohormones, such as cytokines, which ensure a good proliferation of the plant. This work was conducted to study the possible positive effects of a natural “complex mixture” on the in vitro proliferation phase. According to our knowledge, there are no other similar studies on the genotypes analyzed and the results obtained, although preliminary, seem to be interesting and useful in proposing the use of substances of natural origin to replace synthetic compounds also in the micropropagation of apple trees.