Abstract

An efficient protocol for in vitro micropropagation of Bambusa nutans Wall. ex. Munro has been described. Nodal explants obtained from 1½-year-old field-grown culms of B. nutans produced up to 7.0 multiple shoots per explant on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with 6- benzylaminopurine (BAP, 1.0 mg/L). Continuous shoot proliferation up to 11.33 shoots was achieved by sub-culturing shoot clumps (4 shoots/cluster) in BAP (0.5 mg/L) and 0.1 mg/l α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) fortified medium every 4 weeks. 85% rooting was recorded on 2.0 mg/L NAA supplemented medium after 30 to 35 days of culture period. Micropropagated plantlets of B. nutans showed 70% survivability during the hardening stage. After hardening, rooted plantlets were successfully transferred to the soil and exhibited 80% survivability and normal growth. Plantlets cultivated in field condition achieved 95% survivability. Seed explants were also used for in vitro culture establishment of B. nutans on different combination of MS medium.

Key words: Bambusa nutans, micropropagation, nodal explants, seed explants.

Abbreviation

Abbreviations: BAP, 6-Benzylaminopurine; GA₃, gibberellic acid; IAA, indole-3-acetic acid; IBA, indole-3-butyric acid; Kin, kinetin; MS, Murashige and Skoog medium; NAA, α-Naphthalene acetic acid; 2ip, 2-isopentenyladenine; PGR, plant growth regulators.