<p>Pear is an important fruit tree cultivated worldwide. In seedling breeding, tissue culture is an effective method for large-scale propagation. However, during tissue culture, the use of many types of chemicals, their high costs, and the restricted availability of ammonium nitrate, which is classified as a hazardous chemical, limit the broader application of this technology. In this study, tissue-cultured seedlings of ‘Zaojinsu’ pear were used to develop a low-cost medium by substituting carrageenan for agar and ammonium sulfate for ammonium nitrate in the MS (Murashige and Skoog) basal medium, and by replacing ammonium nitrate with ammonium chloride in the NN₆₉ (Nitsch &amp; Nitsch Medium) rooting medium. The results showed that when the sucrose concentration was 30&#xa0;g L^− 1, agar concentration was 6&#xa0;g L^− 1, and the ratio of ammonium sulfate to ammonium nitrate was 30 mM to 10 mM, the proliferation coefficient of ‘Zaojinsu’ in MS subculture medium reached 5.35. When the sucrose concentration was 15&#xa0;g L^− 1, agar concentration was 6&#xa0;g L^− 1, and ammonium chloride replaced ammonium nitrate, the rooting rate reached 89.3%. The cost of the improved medium was reduced by 54.5% compared to the original medium.</p>