Full Length Research Paper

Rapid micropropagation of three elite Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) varieties by shoot tip culture

Sabaz Ali Khan^{1, 3}*, Hamid Rashid², M. Fayyaz Chaudhary^1, Zubeda Chaudhry² and Amber Afroz²

¹Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.

²Agricultural Biotechnology Programme (ABP), Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology and Genetic Resources (IABGR), NARC, Islamabad, Pakistan.

³Plant Research International (PRI) Building 107 Droevendaalsesteeg-1 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: sabzktk@yahoo.com. Tel: +31-317486081. Fax   +31-317418094.

Abbreviations: BAP, 6-Benzyl amino purine; GA_3, gibberellic acid; IBA, indole-3-butyric acid; Kin, Kinetin; MS, Murashige and Skoog; NAA, naphthalene acetic acid; P-value, probability value.

Accepted 6 June, 2008

Studies were carried out for rapid micropropagation of three sugarcane varieties i.e., HSF-240, CP-77-400 and CPF-237. Shoot tip was used as explant source. Shoot initiation from explant of all three varieties was achieved at 1 mg/l Kin and 0.1 mg/l GA₃. For rapid multiplication the regenerated shoots were transferred on liquid Murashige and Skoog medium containing 2% sucrose, supplemented with BAP in combinations with GA_3. Optimum multiplication was observed at 1 mg/l BAP in combination with 0.1 mg/l GA₃ for variety HSF-240. Best response of multiplication for variety CP-77-400 was observed at 0.5 mg/l BAP with 0.1 mg/l GA₃. Variety CPF-237 was multiplied at 1.0 mg/l BAP with 0.5 mg/l GA₃. Rooting response was observed on half strength liquid MS medium with 6% sucrose containing different concentrations of IBA and NAA. The sugarcane plantlets were acclimatized in greenhouse.

Key words:  Micropropagation, Sugarcane, Shoot tip, Hormone and Meristem culture.