Effect of ascorbic acid on in vivo organogenesis in tomato plants

To promote shoot formation, ascorbic acid (AsA) was applied to the leaves of tomato stock plants treated using the complete decapitation method in which multiple shoots regenerate from the cut surfaces of the main and lateral stems. Treatment with AsA at 1, 10, 100, or 1,000 mg l–1 significantly increased the number of regenerated shoots ≥ 5 cm in length. AsA levels and the activities of anti-oxidant enzymes in plants treated with AsA were higher than those in control plants. H2O2 concentrations and malondialdehyde contents in plants treated with AsA were lower than those in control plants. Cells in the calli formed at the cut surfaces re-differentiated earlier in AsA-treated plants than in control plants. Our results indicate that foliar application of AsA promotes shoot formation at the cut surface of tomato stems.