EFFECTS OF ORGANIC SUPPLEMENTS IN LOCAL FERTILIZER MEDIUM ON GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF PHALAENOPSIS SILKY MOON PROTOCORMS

Abstract

Seed-derived protocorms of Phalaenopsis Silky Moon, approximately 5 mg, were used as explants for protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) proliferation and induction of plantlets. Basal culture media contained 2.75 g/L Viking Ship (10N-20P-30K), a local commercial fertilizer, supplemented with 22.2 μM N 6 -Benzyladenine (BA), 20 g/L sucrose, 1.0 g/L activated charcoal and 2.0 g/L Phytagel. Effects of organic supplements on growth and development of explants were investigated by adding 100 g/L boiled potato juice, 2 g/L peptone, 10 g/L polyethylene glycol, 10 mg/L adenine sulphate, 6 g/L malt extract agar or 150 mg/L glutamine in a basal medium with different combinations. All explants were cultured for 18 weeks. The basal medium containing glutamine with peptone and that containing glutamine, peptone with adenine sulfate provided a high number of plantlets (5.1 to 6.2) with significantly higher total fresh weight (FW) (1.06 to 0.94 g), shoot FW (0.60 and 0.52 g) and root FW (0.47 and 0.43 g) than other media. The shoot FW and root FW ratios obtained from both media were 1.2 and 1.3, respectively. Although the highest number of plantlets (6.0 and 9.7) and number of protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) (6.4 and 5.0) were found from the basal medium containing boiled potato juice with peptone and that containing boiled potato juice, malt extract agar, adenine sulphate with polyethylene glycol (PEG), respectively, the shoot FW and root FW ratios were very high at 4.1 and 2.1, respectively. Effects of other organic supplements on PLBs and plantlets formation were discussed.