Adaptability of tissue-cultured Dendrobium orchid planlets on planting media and its position during acclimatization process

Abstract

The acclimatization process of cultured plants needs special attention because it is a critical period for adaptation to In-Vivo conditions. The environmental changes and the imperfection of planlet anatomy are important things that need to be considered to support the growth of Dendrobium orchid planlet. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of planting media type and its positioning on the Dendrobium orchid adaptability during acclimatization process. This study was conducted from March to Mei 2017 in AIAT North Sumatra tissue culture laboratory and screen house. The experimental design used in this study was a randomized group design with five replications. The treatment consisted of planting media and pot position model. The planting media combination were fern+wood charcoal (M0); fern+coconut fibre (M1); ferns+broken bricks (M2); fern+wood charcoal+coconut fibre (M3); and ferns+wood charcoal+coconut fibre+broken bricks (M4) while the pot position model were laying (P0) and hanging (P1) model. Morphological parameters observed were growing plant percentage, plant height, leaves number, roots number, and roots length. The results showed that the best planting media and pot position combination supported the Dendrobium orchid growth were found in ferns and wood charcoal (M0) and ferns and bricks (M2) with lying model (P0).