Reduction of polyphenolic exudation and enhancement of hardening efficiency in pomegranate tissue culture plants

Abstract

<em>Punica granatum</em> is one of the world’s nutritious fruit, tolerating high drought. Bacterial blight is being an obstruct in the export of pomegranate from India. In the present study, a rigorous and efficient protocol for micropropagation of pomegranate plantlets is developed which can replace traditional plant breeding practices. Antioxidants controls polyphenolic exudation in micropropagation. For the first time, this report accomplishes to control polyphenols by modifying medium constituents. Woody plant (WP) medium containing benzyl-amino-purine (BAP) and kinetin (both at 1.5 mg l^-1) exhibited high bud break of about 99%. Further, it gave highest number of shoots of about 6.36 ± 0.22 with the length 6.12 ± 0.31 cm in multiplication stage. Shoots were successfully rooted in WP medium containing indole butyric acid (IBA) 1.5 mg l^-1with 5.62 ± 0.17 roots. This research emphasizes to preliminarily harden plant lets <em>in vitro </em>prior to hardening using innovative technique with increase in gelling strength and by creating nutrient competition. Nutrient stressed plants have a higher survival rate of 98% and water stressed plants have a survival rate of 96% when compared to conventional method. Therefore, mass propagation of pomegranate plants is possible to meet the demand of farmers in procuring disease-free plantlets.