Micropropagation of Anogeissus latifolia (Roxb. Ex DC.) Wall,ex Guill. & Perr.- A Tree of Fragile Ecosystems

Abstract

A micropropagation process was developed for Anogeissus latifolia-a tree of fragile ecosystems. Multiple shoots were regenerated from cotyledonary node and epicotyl explants on Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium containing 0.1 mgl^-1 indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) + 1.5 mgl ^-l 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) + additives (25 mgl ^-l each of adenine sulphate, L-arginine, ascorbic-, citric acids and 1.0 mM L-asparagine) + 200 μM Fe-EDTA (ferric-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) salt. The shoots differentiated in vitro were subcultured and repeatedly transferred onto fresh medium but with 1.0 mgl^-1 of BAP to achieve 4-5 fold rate of shoot multiplication. After every 4th week of culture, from each culture bottle 8-10 shoots could be harvested for rooting. The shoots produced in culture were rooted in vitro on half strength MS medium with 1.0 mgl ^-l either of IBA (indolebutyric acid) or NAA (naphthaleneacetic acid). The shoots were pulse treated with combination (100 mgl ^-l each) of IBA and NOA (2-naphthoxy acetic acid) rooted ex vitro. The ex vitro root induction method is highly efficient and plantlets so generated could be acclimatized and pot transferred. The process developed can be used for large scale production of plants of A.