Abstract
Genetic improvement of garlic through conventional breeding is very difficult due to sterile nature of its flower. Hence, an alternative system is desirable to induce genetic variation. Tissue culture could be a good opportunities and somatic embryogenesis is one of the potential techniques of tissue culture for in vitro regeneration of garlic plant. The successes and production of somatic embryo depends on several factors such as optimization of media components, genotypes and explant type. Therefore, in the present investigation, garlic root tips were used as explant for callus and somatic embryo induction under different plant growth regulator combination. It was found that MS+1.0 mg l-1 2,4-D was the most favorable (86.10% regeneration with 2.19 cm callus diameter) for callus induction. This concentration also induced and produced good quality somatic embryo. In addition, MS+2.0 mg l-1 Kinetin gave better regeneration of somatic embryo and yielded the highest number (4.670) and longest length (7.0 cm) of shoots per callus. The procedure used a single hormonal signal for callus and somatic embryo induction as well as hormone free medium for further development of plantlet. Besides, maximum duration for callus induction and somatic embryo production was 17 and 10.67 days respectively. Thus, it appears that the protocol is cheap and time bound and particularly useful for conducting experiment for genetic improvement of garlic. Furthermore, as the protocol is cost effective, it can be further tested for commercial feasibility. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbau.v12i1.20747 J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 12(1): 1-6, June 2014
Highlights
Garlic does not produce fertile seeds and vegetative propagation is the usual way for its reproduction
In vitro regeneration of plant depends on several factors such as the explant type and its physiological condition, genotype and growth regulator combination used in the culture medium
Garlic cloves were surface sterilized with 70% alcohol for 30 sec and 0.1% HgCl2 solution with 2 drops Tween–20 per 100 ml for 5 minutes subsequently washed by autoclaved distilled water for three times to remove trace of HgCl2 which would be toxic to the explant
Summary
Garlic does not produce fertile seeds and vegetative propagation is the usual way for its reproduction. Vegetative propagation offer limited chances for creating genetic variation and gives low multiplication rate in the field. In vitro plant production of garlic through tissue culture could overcome these difficulties and provide excellent opportunities for its genetic improvement by the process of genetic engineering and molecular gene transfer. Thereby, it could facilitate the rapid development of new varieties which yield high and are resistant to different stresses like viral and fungal diseases. One of the prospective and potential ways of in vitro plant culture of garlic is the somatic embryogenesis. In vitro regeneration of plant depends on several factors such as the explant type and its physiological condition, genotype and growth regulator combination used in the culture medium
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