Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Agriculture - Department of Ornamental Horticulture

Hydrangea (Hortensia) is a highly popular ornamental plant for garden decoration, and now it is commercially produced for cut flower branches. The goal of this research was to set a protocol for in vitro propagation of Hydrangea macrophylla for commercial production and develop efficient system for synthetic seed production and storage of Hydrangea macrophylla, for this purpose two type of explant (shoot tip and node) were sterilized and the best percentage of survival explants (40%) was obtained when explants immersed for 20 min in 1 or 1.5 % NaOCl. For in vitro multiplication, Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/l BA and 2.0 mg/l Kin was the best treatment on shoot number. Using GA3 at 1.0 mg/l was a marked increase in plant length when compared with zero level (control). During the rooting stage, the medium containing 4.0 mg/l IAA with charcoal gave the longest shoot and the highest number of leaves, while NAA at 1.0 mg/l without charcoal gave the highest number of roots and the longest root was found at 2.0 mg/l IAA without charcoal. The longest plant ( 6.17 cm) was achieved when peat moss : perlite ( 2 : 1 v/v ) acclimatization mixture was used compared with other mixtures. Hydroponic acclimatization system gave higher means (18.83 cm2) and (36.88) for leaf area and total chlorophyll respectively. Shoot tips encapsulated with 4% alginate and hardened in 100 mM CaCl₂.2H₂O and it was found best composition for gel complexation, which produces firm, clear, and isodiametric beads

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