During the last twenty years there was an increased interest to large extent in
crowing up the fruitful trees all over the world. That is a natural result of knowing its high
feeding value beside its being good source for income. Due to its economical importance,
there was variety of searches and studies which approached its farming.
Single nodes and axillary buds excised from adult trees of Myrtle (Myrtus
communis L.) grown in the field under natural conditions at Damascus
countryside (Ain Elfiegh) were used as primary explants, which were surfacedisinfected
by 70% Ethanol an
d Clorox containing 5.25 % Sodium Hypoclorite
with a drop of Tween 20 for different periods and concentrations before being
placed onto MS basal medium. Established cultures were then transferred onto
MS basal medium containing a combination of growth regulators at different
concentrations (BA at 2.22 and 4.44 μM) each with NAA at 0.54, 1.62, 5.4 μM
or 1.47 μM IBA with GA3 at 0.58 μM for all tratments. Multiplication rate of
12.8-fold was achieved every 4 weeks on MS medium supplemented with 4.44
μM BA with 1.47 μM IBA and GA3 at 0.58 μM.
Olive trees are grown in many regions of Syria, especially in wet regions
where the olive knot disease (Pseudomonas savastanoi pv.savastanoi ) prevails
.Symptoms similar to those found on olive trees have been observed on myrtle
shrubs (Myrtus com
munis) growing naturally in some olive-grown regions. This
study aimed at identifying the pathogen isolated from myrtle plant, and testing
the pathogenicity of these isolates on olive trees. Morphological, biochemical
and serological tests of bacteria isolated from myrtle showed similarity to
those from olive and other hosts. Pathogenicity tests showed that the myrtle
isolates were pathogenic on both myrtle and olive trees. Myrtle could be
considered as a source of inoculum for the olive knot disease.
