Mohammad Esmaeil Naddaf - Ph.D. Student, Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Shahrekord, Shahrekord, Iran
Gholamreza Rabiei - Assistant Professor, Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Shahrekord, Shahrekord, Iran
Ebrahim Ganji Moghadam - Associate Professor, Department of Horticultural Science, Khorasan Razavi Agriculture and Natural Resources Research & Education Center, Mashhad, Iran
Abdorahman Mohammadkhani - Assistant Professor, Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Shahrekord, Shahrekord, Iran

Plum Pox Virus (PPV) is one of the most common viral agents in sweet cherry. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of culturing method and explant type for production of PPV-free plants in sweet cherry cv. Siahe-Mashhad, in a factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design (CRD). The first factor was the culturing method in two levels (A: Meristem culture and B: Micro-grafting) and the second factor, the type of explants in four levels (M۱S۱: ۵mm and in vivo explant, M۱S۲: ۲mm and in vivo explant, M۲S۱: ۲mm and in vitro explant and M۲S۲: ۵mm and in vitro explant). Explants of shoot tips were cultured for meristem culture as well as micro-grafting on the 'Gissela ۶' rootstock and then cultured in a MS medium containing ۱ mg.l-l BAP in controlled conditions. The results showed that among the types of explant in both survival and health plantlet indices was significant, but there was a significant difference in the culturing method only in the survival plantlet index and their interaction (at ۵% level). The highest percentage of survival plantlet index (۴۸.۶%) was recorded for meristem culture when explant was ۵ mm in vitro and the highest percentage of healthy planted index (۴۱.۶%) was obtained for meristem culture when ۲ mm in vitro explants was used. The results of percentage of healthy plantlets in total detection of PPV using Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test showed that ۳۰.۵% of all regenerated plants in both cultures were PPV- free.

DAS-ELISA, Sharka, Shoot tips, Stone fruit, Tissue culture