IN - VITRO CALLUS INDUCTION IN LEAF EXPLANTS OF TAGETES ERECTA, L

Abstract

Tagetes erecta is an industrially and commercially important ornamental plant belonging to family Asteraceae.  Developing tissue culture technique for Tagetes erecta will permit the application of biotechnology to its culture and potential for exploitatation of phytochemicals. The present work is based on developing protocols for the callus induction in Tagetes erecta from leaf explants. The sterilized explants were inoculated in  Murashige and Skoog (MS) media containing various combinations of auxins such as Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), Indole 3-acetic acid (IAA), Indole 3-butyric acid (IBA), 2,4 Dichlorophenoxyacetic  acid (2,4 D) and  cytokinins such as Kinetin (KIN) and  Benzylaminopurines (BAP). The highest rate of callus induction for   Tagetes leaf was achieved on media supplemented with 2, 4 D (2 mg/L ) and BAP (5mg/L) with  compact,  fast growing,  pale yellow coloured  callus. Leaf explans were grown with IAA, IBA,  NAA and KIN at different concentrations to evaluate tissue responses such as production of proembryo and roots in the explant.