The in vitro multiplication of anthurium cv. Eidibel

Abstract

Anthurium is one of the most marketed species in international floriculture. The availability of sufficient plants of phytosanitary quality is a limiting factor in their commercial cultivation. Micropropagation is the most common technique used in producing plantlets on a large scale. The aim of this study was to determine the most suitable relationship between growth medium, BAP concentration and photoperiod for increasing the in vitro multiplication rate of the ‘Eidibel’ cultivar. A completely randomised design was used in a 2 x 9 x 2 factorial scheme with 20 replications. The treatments comprised combinations of two types of growth medium (MS and Pierik), nine concentrations of BAP (0.0; 1.11; 2.22; 3.33; 4.44; 5.55; 6.66; 7.77 and 8.88 μM), and two photoperiods (12 and 16 h). The number of shoots per explant (NSE) and percentage of explants forming organogenic calli (FOC) and roots (FR) were evaluated after 60 days. The highest values for NSE, 3.66 and 4.69, were obtained in the MS and Pierik growth media, containing 8.88 μM and 4.85 μM BAP respectively. The NSE was higher under the 12-hour regime in the MS medium, and equal under the two photoperiods in the Pierik medium. The lower the BAP concentration, the greater the percentage of root formation and the smaller the percentage of organogenic calli. The Pierik medium is recommended for the production of micropropagated ‘Eidibel’ plantlets, with the addition of 4.85 μM BAP, under a photoperiod of 12 h.