Effect of aluminium on the development of poplar (Populus tremula L. x P. alba L.) in vitro and in vivo

Adventitious bud cultures were established by using buds of selected poplar clones (Populus tremula L. x P. alba L.) as initial explants. The Murashige and Skoog medium (1/2 and 1/4 MS) was used for multiplication and rooting of shoots. To the media, aluminium was added in the form of sulphate, at a concentration 50-70 mg Al dm(-3). The culture was continued in vitro for more than 12 months. The cultures developed on media with aluminium (Al+) were more tolerant to aluminium in the medium during multiplication than those developed on media without aluminium (Al-). Rooted poplar cuttings obtained from cultures on media with aluminium (Al+) grew better in soil from an area polluted by a phosphate fertilizer factory (Lubon) than those from media without aluminium (Al-). This soil was characterized by a high Al level, low Ca/Al ratio and low pH, as compared to the control soil, from an area regarded as free from toxic pollution.