HIGH FREQUENCY IN VITRO CLONAL PROPAGATION OF SOLANUM SURATTENSE BURM. F.

Abstract

Multiple shoots were induced in cotyledon and leaf explants of Solanum surattense Burm. f., a medicinally important Solanaceae member. Cotyledon and leaf explants isolated from axenic seedlings (3-5 weeks old) were cultured on the Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with different concentrations of Thidiazuron (TDZ) (2.27, 2.72, 3.17, 3.63, 4.08 & 4.54 µM) alone or in combination with Indole 3- acetic acid (IAA) (0.28 µM). Maximum number of shoots (72.5±1.70 & 68.1±1.12) were induced directly (without callus) and maximum shoot length (8.25± 0.31 & 7.03 ± 0.53) was observed in cotyledon and leaf explants, respectively. Microshoots obtained in the above treatments were rooted on MS + Indole -3- butyric acid (IBA) (4.92 µM). Complete plantlets (2n=24) were transferred to research field and 80-90 % of these plantlets survived. Plantlets regenerated from cotyledon and leaf explants did not show any morphological and cytological variations and they flowered normally and set fruit.