Rapid micropropagation of lisianthus (<em>Eustoma grandiflorum</em>), a rose-like ornamental plant, through axillary buds using 2,4-D and BAP

Abstract

Micropropagation offers an opportunity to propagate and preserve of important plants. A simple and efficient protocol for <em>in vitro </em>micropropagation of lisianthus (<em>Eustoma grandiflorum</em>), an ornamental plant, is reported. We produced full plants only during 50 days. Axillary buds explants dissected from mother plants grown in a greenhouse were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 16 combinations of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) at concentrations of 0.01 - 5.00 mg l^-1. The optimum plant growth regulators (PGRs) combination for maximal shoot regeneration (73.76 per explant) and proliferation rate (222.53) was 0.10 mg l^-1 2,4-D along with 5.00 mg l^-1 BAP. These huge numbers of shoots were produced from callus dedifferentiated from explant. The best medium for shoot length (4.36 cm per plantlet) was 0.10 mg l^-1 2,4-D. The largest number (2.40 per plantlet) and highest length (3.86 cm per plantlet) of roots were obtained on medium without PGRs. Roots were produced at the end of shoots only in medium without PGRs. All shoots produced on media containing PGRs got rooted in soil during 10 days. Rooting in the soil reduces the charge of micropropagation. About 98% of the micropropagated plantlets were established successfully in 15 cm pots containing a mixture of peat and perlite (1:1 ratio) and formed new leaves.