INTRODUCTION Micropropagation is used for rapidly multiplying stock plant material to produce many progeny plants by using modern plant tissue culture methods. Plant cell, tissue and organ culture has revolutionized plant development (Girijashankar, 2012). In vitro regeneration helps to mass propagate genetically identical, physically uniform, developmentally normal and pathogen-free plantlets. Gene manipulation and directional improvement of specific traits can be achieved by applying bioengineering on in vitro raised plants (Das and Rahman, 2012). Tissue culture made it possible to produce multiple plants from a single explant, within limited time span (Singh, 2015). In vitro regeneration and multiplication of woody fruit plants is feasible (Goodger and Woodrow, 2010) and has progressed from a theoretical possibility to a commercial reality (Naaz et al., 2019). Several fruit tree plants like almond (Phulwaria et al., 2012), peach (Kalinina and Brown, 2007), mango (Mishra et al., 2010) and guava (Ahmad et al., 2016) have been successfully propagated using tissue culture techniques. Litchi (Litchi chinensis), a minor fruit crop of family Sapindaceae, is famous for its luscious fruit of sour-sweet taste (Wills et al., 2004). Litchi fruit is considered beneficial in protection against diabetes and hepatitis, due to high phenol and flavonoid content (Dong et al., 2005). Litchi propagated through seeds does not conserve stable genetic makeup and limits the genetic improvement through conventional hybridization techniques. Asexual propagation is done to maintain plants similar in quality and characteristics to their parents. In Pakistan litchi plants are usually propagated asexually using air-layering and grafting techniques which are slow and inefficient (Haq and Rab, 2012) and up till now very little progress is made in the field of litchi micropropagation. Micropropagation has been a valuable tool for overcoming constraints in several plants but less success has been achieved in case of litchi. Previously, litchi has been propagated in vitro through embryo culture (Kantharajah et al., 1992) anther culture (Wang et al., 2016) and callus raised from pollen and leaf disk explants (Puchooa, 2004). In these techniques, chromosomal abnormalities can appear as culture age increases. Shoot culture is an effective technique for producing phenotypically uniform progenies without meiotic irregularities and chromosomal changes (Bhatia et al., 2015). There is no comprehensive documentation on litchi micropropagation through axillary shoot buds obtained from field-grown trees on Pakistani litchi cultivars. Therefore, the present experiment was designed for in vitro propagation of litchi (cv. Gola) fruit plant through axillary shoot buds. J. Glob. Innov. Agric. Soc. Sci., 2020,8 (3):141-146 ISSN (Online): 2311-3839; ISSN (Print): 2312-5225 DOI: https://doi.org/10.22194/JGIASS/8-913 http://www.jgiass.com IN VITRO REGENERATION OF LITCHI (Litchi chinensis SONN.) THROUGH SHOOT BUD CULTURE Safeer ud Din 1,* , Waqar Shafqat 1 , Muhammad Ahsan Qureshi 1 , Abdul Rehman Saleem 1 , Naseem Sharif 2 , Muhammad Kashif Raza 3 , Sufian Ikram 1 and Muhammad Iqbal 1 1 Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad-38040 Pakistan 2 Horticultural Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad-38850, Pakistan 3 Horticultural Research Station, Nowshera (Soan Valley), District Khushab-41000, Pakistan * Corresponding author’s e-mail: safeeru3@gmail.com Attempts were made to develop protocol for in vitro regeneration of litchi through axillary shoot bud cultures. The problem of microbial contamination, phenolic exudation and media browning was controlled up to some extend by pretreatment and rapid subculturing. A high frequency (51 %) shoot induction and differentiation was obtained in litchi Gola variety axillary explants on MS medium containing GA3 and BAP (1 mg/l), Kin (2 mg/l). In vitro raised shoots better proliferated in medium containing 2 mg/l BAP. BAP had positive effect on multiplication and growth of shoots but higher concentration than 2 mg/l reduced growth. Maximum rooting frequency (66.67%) with healthier roots was obtained in shoots cultured on full strength MS medium supplemented with IBA (2 mg/l). Plants with well-developed roots were transferred to soil with survival frequency of 57%. A combination of BAP and GA3 (1 mg/l), KIN (2 mg/l) was effective in establishment of cultures. While BAP (2 mg/l) and KIN (3 mg/l) was good for better flourishing in vitro raised shoots. 6-benzylaminepurine had positive effect on multiplication and growth of in vitro shoots but concentration exceeding 2 mg/l decreased growth. Full strength MS medium containing 2 mg/l IBA under dark condition promoted rooting in in vitro raised shoots. The protocol established could prove advantageous to the horticulturists and the industry for developing trees true to the parental type. Keywords: Minor fruits, micropropagation, plant regeneration, tissue culture, explant, acclimatization.