A novel cost-effective medium for in vitro cultivation of Gentiana kurroo Royle using sugarcane bagasse

Objective: To develop a simple, cost-effective, and efficient medium by using sugarcane bagasse (SB) as abase material to replace the conventional Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium.Materials and Methods: Water extracts of SB along with some macronutrients and plant growth regulators weregelled with 0.7% agar-agar powder. Nodal segments of Gentiana kurroo were used as explants and inoculatedin the medium and placed in a growth chamber under standard conditions of light and temperature. Out of thetested combinations of plant growth regulators, 0.5 mg/l each of kinetin (KN) and 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP)showed the excellent shoot multiplication and proliferation rate on the bagasse medium with the same potentialas on the MS medium with an average of 5–6 shoots/explant. In vitro rooting was obtained on half strength MSmedium supplemented with IBA (0.5 mg/l) with an average length of 7–8 cm and 20–25 roots/explant. Theplants were hardened in a mixture of clay loam and farmyard manure in 1:1(w/w) with 70%–80% survival ratewithout any phenotypic aberrations.Conclusion: The results from the present investigation indicate that SB can be used as a cost-effective substituteof MS medium for in vitro propagation of G. kurroo.

Study of Genetic Fidelity of Somatic Embryos - Derived Plants of Gentiana kurroo Royle from Western Himalayas - Plant of Great Medicinal Value.

Aim: To study the effect of plant growth regulators on direct and indirect somatic embryogenesis on Gentiana kurroo Royle – an endangered medicinal plant. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Biotechnology, Dr Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan-173230, Himachal Pradesh, India, 2010-2013. Methodology: For induction of direct and indirect somatic embryogenesis petiole, leaf and petiole derived callus (after incubation in activated charcoal) were cultured on MS medium supplemented with a range of combinations of auxins (2,4-D, picloram, dicamba) and cytokinins (zeatin, kinetin). Results: Somatic embryos were observed from both direct and indirect method. The best performance was observed on MS basal medium supplemented 1.0mg/l dicamba. Development of somatic embryos was observed on MS basal+0.50mg/l GA3+1.0 mg/lKn and the maximum plantlets formation was achieved when somatic embryos (directly and indirectly induced) were shifted to half strength MS basal medium. Conclusion: In direct pathway somatic embryos were in contact with maternal tissue in a suspensor like structure. In indirect pathway, the explants first proliferated to give rise to callus before embryoids were induced. Somatic embryos have their own vascular tissues, and can develop new plantlets independently.