VEGETATIVE PROPAGATION OF TEAK BY TISSUE CULTURE

Abstract

Multiple shoot formation was inducedfront excised seedling nodal explants. OnMurashig« & ,)'koog medium supplemented with iliA (0.3 mg/litre) and nAI' (Img/litre) about 2-5 shoots were obtained within 10-15 daysfrom each explant, ina growth chamber at 25°C with a light source of' 100 lux/or 16 hours/day. Whenthe shoots produced in vitro were subcultured to multiplv on fresh medium ofthesante constituents, they yielded a crop of shoots within 3 weeks. Shoot explantsand tender leaf discs taken from plantlets grown in vitro and also from palledseedlings 3-./ months old front the growth chamber were also tried foradventitious shoot production without much success. Callus [ormation was alsotried with these shoot explants. Isolated shoots were rooted by culturing on thefollowing media for 10 days: (a) half-strength AIS medium devoid of' growthregulators, or (b) half-strength MS medium supplemented with indolebutryicacid at (i) 0.3 mg/litre, (ii) 1 tug/litre, (iii) 2 mg/litre, or (iv) 3 mg/litre. Theywere then tram/erred to hormone-free half-strength A;fS medium. Roots wereinitiated in about HO% ofthe shoots in treatments b (i) and b (ii) while othertreatments produced no rooting. However, when transferred to hormone-freemedium, shoots that had been growing in treatments b (iii) and b (iv) also rootedwithin 7 days. '[he plantlets were hardened and transferred to pots, which wereplaced first in the growth chamber at 25°(' with 100 lux for 16 hours/day andsubsequently transferred to the greenhouse.