Induction and development of adventitious shoots of Atropa baetica as a means of propagation

Abstract

In vitro propagation of Atropa baetica was established employing axillary buds. Single buds were cultured through a multiple shoot induction phase, rooting phase, and then followed by acclimatization in soil. For multiple shoot induction, Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with 3% sucrose, supplemented with either 0.75 or 1.25 mg l-1 of BAP provided the best results with an average of 5.6 shoots per explant after 31 days of culture. Similar results were obtained with higher BAP concentrations (1.75–2.0 mg l-1); however, these media had a negative effect on the subsequent root induction due to residual BAP effect. Medium containing only 0.25 mg l-1 of BAP induced a significantly lower number of shoots. Root induction occurred spontaneously after transferring the shoots onto MS medium lacking any plant growth regulator. Moreover, root induction also occurred on media supplemented with 0.125 and 0.25 mg l-1 of NAA. On these two rooting media, this response was more prominent and with a higher number of roots per explant. Nevertheless, after 28 days on root induction medium, the number of rooted plantlets was similar on the three media. Acclimatization of plantlets in soil was very successful (95.52%). However, all plantlets which died during acclimatization were rooted on medium containing 0.25 mg l-1 NAA suggesting a negative carry over effect of this medium upon plantlet survival, irrespective of the initial BAP treatment used. On the other hand, karyological studies showed no variation in the number of chromosome (2n=72) in root tips of the plantlets produced.