Micropropagation and genetic fidelity analysis in Amomum subulatum Roxb.: A commercially important Himalayan plant

Abstract

An efficient protocol for in vitro regeneration of a commercially important plant, Amomum subulatum Roxb., was developed using small pieces of rhizome explants taken from mature plants. Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 4.0μM 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 1.0μM α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) resulted in maximum shoot numbers (32.6) with highest shoot length of 14.00cm and on an average 61.4 roots and with 16.90cm root length per explant. This could be repeated when individually separated shoots were transferred again on the same medium. Thus, on an average, about 30 plantlets could be obtained per culture cycle of three weeks. Ninety percent survival was recorded at the end of the 5 weeks of acclimatization, and cent percent survival was observed after 150days of transfer of acclimatized plantlets into earthen pots, containing a mixture of soil and farmyard manure (3:1, v/v) when the pots were kept in the open nursery with partial shade. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker analysis of ten randomly selected tissue culture raised plantlets confirmed their genetic fidelity with the mother plant. High multiplication rate associated with observed genetic stability clearly indicates the efficacy of the present in vitro clonal propagation protocol of this important medicinal plant of high commercial value.