ABSTRACT
Possibilities for evaluating the ability for morphogenic regeneration, in particular for predicting the rooting potential of stem cuttings of the number of Malus spp. representatives (an apple tree) by indirect methods are discussed. Garden cress—Lepidium sativum L., radish—Raphanus sativus L. var. radicola Pers., cultivar “Chervona z bilym kinchykom” and common bean—Phaseolus vulgaris L., “Synel’nykivs’ka 8” have been used for bioindication of Malus spp. stem cuttings rooting potential. Radish seeds, garden cress sprouted seeds, and cuttings of common beans have been treated with extracts from cuttings of the studied cultivars, hybrid seedlings, crabapples, and clonal apple rootstocks. Physiological readiness of the donor extract plants for regeneration and rooting potential of stem cuttings of Malus spp., treated with these extracts, have been predicted according to radish seeds germinability and intensive growth and development of primary roots from garden cress sprouted seeds and intensity of adventitious roots formation in stem cuttings of common bean. It has been found that radish seeds and bean cuttings can be used as biotesters with certain premonition, and sprouted seeds of garden cress do not meet the requirements of the regenerative capacity tester of the stem cuttings of apple tree. The fact that there is no significant dependence between the 220manifestations of the rooting potential of Malus spp. stem cuttings and the yield of the cultivars and hybrids from which these cuttings were prepared for rooting gives grounds for refuting the common belief that the rooting ability is inherent only in primitive forms of apple tree.
