Shoots were continuously subcultured at 3-week inter- vals.
Cluster of shoots developed was divided in smaller clumps of 3 shoots.
Cultures were incubated at 25˚C ± 2˚C with 16 h light (fluorescent lamps with photon lux light intensity of 40 μl∙mol∙m−2∙s−1).
After the second subculture, explants were inoculated into the TIS.
For liquid treatment, 30 explants were cultured for 3 weeks in similar conditions to those described above and evalu- ated at the same time as the TIS. Three replicates were included.