A procedure to prevent hyperhydricity in cauliflower axillary shoots

Cauliflower axillary shoots exhibited hyperhydric status when cultured in vitro under usual conditions with growth regulators, resulting in poor survival during transfer to the glass-house. A pretreatment soaking of curd explants in sucrose −2 MPa for 24 h was sufficient to induce axillary bud break. Afterwards, leafy shoots developed on MS medium without any growth regulator. Shoots produced were unhyperhydrated and were successfully transfered for rooting to the glass-house. This simple procedure can be useful in cauliflower breeding programmes where acclimatization is generally a critical stage. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.