Effect of Mesos Components (MgSO4, CaCl2, KH2PO4) on In Vitro Shoot Growth of Blackberry, Blueberry, and Saskatoon

Berry fruit species are, in many countries, considered biologically and economically valuable and important species of small fruits. The aim of this work was to examine the influence of either decreased or increased mesos concentrations (MgSO4, CaCl2, and KH2PO4) on shoot multiplication of five cultivars of three small fruit species (Amelanchier alnifolia var. cusickii, Rubus fruticosus &lsquo
Black Satin&rsquo
and &lsquo
Loch Ness&rsquo
and Vaccinium corymbosum &lsquo
Brigitta Blue&rsquo
Toro&rsquo
). Mesos nutrients were manipulated from half to four times their base concentration. The results indicate that mesos manipulation significantly influences the number and length of shoots in most of the studied cultivars. The greatest multiplication rate for A. alnifolia was achieved with tripled mesos, whereas &lsquo
reacted positively to a lower (1&ndash
2x) concentration of mesos. Decreasing the concentration of mesos to half led to worse quality in both blackberry and Saskatoon shoots. &lsquo
was more sensitive to greater mesos concentrations compared to &lsquo
Optimizing the mineral nutrition of plants cultivated in vitro enhances their multiplication rate and contributes to a higher production of good quality plantlets.