TITLE:
Efficient Plant Regeneration of Cymbidium aloifolium (L.) Sw., a Threatened Orchid of Nepal through Artificial Seed Technology
AUTHORS:
Shreeti Pradhan, Babu Lal Tiruwa, Bijay Raj Subedee, Bijaya Pant
KEYWORDS:
Artificial Seed, Protocorms, In Vitro, Germination, Encapsulation, Media
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.7 No.14,
October
12,
2016
ABSTRACT: Artificial seed technology is
a method of considerable potential for mass propagation and conservation of rare,
endangered and threatened species. In the present investigation, artificial seeds
were obtained through encapsulation of three weeks old protocorm (3.0 ± 1.0 mm diameter)
of Cymbidium aloifolium with calcium alginate. Artificial seeds were cultured on
liquid Murashige and Skoog (MS) or Knudson (Kn C) medium at
different strength (×1.0, 0.5, 0.25) and full strength (1.0) of both media supplemented
with 0.5 mg/l 6-benzyl aminopurine (BAP) and 0.5 mg/l α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). Full strength of MS medium without
plant growth regulators was found to be the most favourable condition for efficient
plantlet regeneration of C. aloifolium (9.83 shoot and 2.66 roots per
culture). The storage potential of artificial seed was tested at 4°C and room
temperature (RT, 21°C ± 2°C) for up to 90 days on both media and found 83.33% viability at
4°C storage on MS media. Eighty five percent of plantlets regenerated from
artificial seeds culture were successfully hardened in a potting mixture of cocopeat,
clay and sphagnum moss (2:1:1). Hence, the methodology can be used for propagation
and conservation of C. aloifolium through artificial seed system.