ASHS 2024 Conference

Hydrangea is a genus of flowering plants that includes a diverse range of species and cultivars. These plants are known for their large, showy flower heads and are commonly grown as ornamental shrubs in gardens and landscapes. Hydrangea macrophylla, commonly known as bigleaf hydrangea, is a popular ornamental shrub in the hydrangeaceae family, well-known for its large, showy flower heads and broad leaves. Tissue culture regeneration techniques offer a promising avenue for rapid propagation, genomic study, and biotech breeding, including genome editing and genetic transformation. However, literature on hydrangea macrophylla regeneration and transformation/genome editing report is limited. This study aims to investigate the influence of various tissue culture conditions on the regeneration efficiency of Hydrangea macrophylla 'Blaumeise,' 'H2020-59,' and 'H15298' by assessing the impact of different culture conditions and hormonal treatments on the regeneration of selected varieties in vitro leaf cultures. The first three open leaves from 4-week-old in vitro cultures were collected and cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium, supplemented with varying concentrations of 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) (0, 0.5, 1, 2 mg/L) combined with 1-Naphthaleneacetic Acid (NAA) (0.01 mg/L). The cultures were maintained in a growth chamber with varying light (dark or light) and photoperiod conditions. Regeneration parameters, including regeneration rate, regeneration number, and root development, were recorded over a 4-week period. Preliminary results indicate a significant influence of BA concentrations and light conditions on shoot regeneration rate and number. The combination of BA at 2 mg/L and NAA at 0.01 mg/L under dark conditions resulted in the highest regeneration efficiency. Rooting was observed when the cultures were transferred to a hormone-free MS medium.