ABSTRACT
Leaf explants collected from flowering plants of Vanda spathulata were cultured in Mitra medium with combinations of 6-benzyladenine (BA; 13.2-88.8 microM) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA; 0.0 -85.6 microM). Combination of BA (66.6 microM) and IAA (28.5 microM) induced maximum shoots (17.33) from foliar meristems (leaf base). BA individually did not induce caulogenesis in leaf explants. For optimized multiplication, BA:IAA (2:1 microM) was essential at 22.2- 88.8 microM of BA. Re-cultured leaf explants produced lesser number of shoots compared to original explants and were nearly equal at combinations of 22.2-44.4 microM of BA and 5.7-28.5 microM of IAA. Rooting of shoots (> 95%) occurred in medium containing banana pulp (75 gl(-1)) and IAA (5.7 microM) within 3-9 weeks. Plantlets with 2-5 roots of 2-5 cm length established easily in community pots at 80-90% rates without hardening.
Subject(s)
Adenine/analogs & derivatives , Culture Media , Indoleacetic Acids/pharmacology , Kinetin , Meristem/drug effects , Orchidaceae/drug effects , Plant Leaves/drug effectsABSTRACT
Two horticulturally important jewel orchids of the genus Anoectochilus were successfully micropropagated. Isolated nodes of A. sikkimensis collected from Sikkim in Eastern Himalayas and subsequently reared under nursery conditions and A. regalis collected from Western Ghats in Southern India were cultured for 12 weeks on Woody Plant Medium (WPM) to produce a maximum of 4.8 and 5.6 callus--free axillary shoots respectively at 95 and 98% efficiency. During reculture of the explants from in vitro raised shoots under the same conditions, the total number of shoots obtained from the nodes (21.4) and shoot tips (8.2) of A. regalis were significantly higher than those hardy and slow growing shoots of A. sikkimensis (12.3 and 4.3) respectively. Shoots (4-6 cm) were rooted in medium containing NAA (2.70 microM) and activated charcoal (0.2%). The rooted plants established at 95-98% rate in community pots after hardening. After 6 months, green house adapted community potted plants of A. regalis were transferred to natural forest habitat locally with 95 and 70% survival respectively after 12 months. The plants, established in community pots and native forest habitat were free from any morphological and growth defects.