MULTIPLE SHOOT INDUCTION FROM SHOOT TIP EXPLANTS OF ZIZYPHUS MAURITIANA. L

Several of these are categorized as “multipurpose trees” and are backbone of rural economy throughout the drier plants of the world. It is because of the dependence on these species that plants have become over exploited. Tremendous pressure exerted by both man and animal, resulted in complete removal of superior germplasm or in some cases plant species have become threatened (Ramawat and Nadwani, 1991). One third of India's population is dependent on wood fuel for cooking their daily meals, which generates tremendous pressure on the scanty vegetation. The predominant Zizyphus mauritiana tree species can survive well in high temperature, slight frost and low rainfall. Their roots penetrate deeply in to ground water level and so they do not compete for water with the crop plants (Leaky and Last, 1980). Large scale variation for yield and quality of fruits have been reported by several workers (Mitra and Bose, 1990). In contrast, reduction in leaf CO2 inforporation was noticed in crop plants subjected to soil water logging or an anaerobic conditions (Ta and Ho, 2001).