An efficient protocol was established for rapid and large scale propagation of woody aromatic medicinal plant Vitex negundo L. by in vitro shoot multiplication from shoot tips and nodal segments of mature plant. Of the four different growth regulators BA, Kn, GA 3 , NAA and coconut water, MS fortified with BA 1.0 mg/l was found to be the most effective for inducing multiple shoots from nodal explants. The percentage (96%) of shoot multiplication per node (21.83) was highest up to second subculture passages, after which there was a gradual decline in shoot development. Best rooting was induced (93%) in excised shoots on half strength MS medium supplemented with an optimal combination of NAA (0.3 mg/l). Soil, compost and sand (1:1:1) mixture was the most suitable planting substrate for hardening. The survival rate was 80% and the regenerated plants were successfully transferred to the soil.

An efficient protocol was established for in vitro mass propagation of a valuable medicinal shrubby plant, Mimosa pudica Linn., from shoot tip and nodal explants. Optimum in vitro shoot induction was observed from nodal explants on MS basal medium supplemented with 1.5 mg/l BAP + 0.5 mg/l NAA, in which 88.2% of the explants produced 9 shoots per culture within 3-4 weeks. Repeated subcultures in the same medium, resulted rapid shoot multiplication with 20.4 ± 1.20 shoots per culture within 12 weeks. The healthy in vitro raised shoots rooted on half strength MS medium with 0.5 mg/l IBA. For acclimatization and transplantation, the plantlets in the rooting culture tubes were kept in normal room temperature for 7 days before transplanting in pots where plantlets were reared for three weeks. The survival rate of regenerated plantlets was 80%. Key words: Mimosa pudica; Medicinal plant; Shoot proliferation; In vitro mass propagation; Acclimatization DOI: 10.3329/bjsir.v45i2.5704Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res. 45(2), 95-100, 2010

ABSTRACT. Wheat is notorious for callus induction, which is a major hindrance in direct gene transfer and consequently for genetic improvement programs. In order to provide a successful platform for gene transformation, good callus quantity and quality is important. We investigated the variation in callus induction capabilities of Pakistani wheat cultivars and measured the reducing sugar content in the induced calluses. Ten elite wheat varieties, developed and cultivated in Pakistan were selected on the basis of agronomic and stress tolerance parameters. Significant differences were found between and among wheat cultivars for callus induction response, shoot length and callus quality. The callus induction responses of Punjab-81, Punjab-96 and Zarghoon-79 were found to be the best among the 10 varieties. The induced calluses were of two types, embryogenic (hard) and non-embryogenic (soft). The seeds gave good germination. The highest reducing sugar concentration was found in cultivar , which needs to be tested for stress resistance, a measure of its utility for genetic engineering programs. The relative callus induction rate and reducing sugar content of the wheat cultivars were found to be genotype-dependent.

Shoot tips and nodal explants from in vitro growing seedlings of Ficus glomerata Roxb. (Moraceae). showed best shoot induction (88%) on MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l BAP, where maximum number of shoots were produced per culture. In vitro raised shoots rooted well on half strength of MS medium with 2.0 mg/l IBA + 0.1 mg/l NAA. The survival rate of regenerated plantlets was 82%. Key words: Ficus glomerata Roxb.; Shoot proliferation; Micropropagation; Acclimatization DOI: 10.3329/bjb.v39i1.5525Bangladesh J. Bot. 39(1): 47-50, 2010 (June)

The present study describes a protocol for high frequency plant regeneration of Physalis minima. Shoots were induced by culturing nodal segments and shoot tips from 15 day old seedlings. About 29 and 32 shoots were found to be induced from nodal segment and shoot tip explants, respectively, cultured on MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/l BAP. When shoots were subcultured on the fresh medium with same component as mentioned above, the shoots were elongated. Shoots rooted well when they were excised individually and implanted on half-strength MS medium with 0.3 mg/l NAA, where 98% shoots rooted within 12-15 days. In vitro grown plantlets with strong root system were successfully established in normal room temperature for seven days before transplanting in pots where they were reared for three weeks through successive acclimatization. The regenerated plants were successfully transferred to the soil with 90% survival rate. Key words: Physalis minima; Medicinal plant; Shoot proliferation; Micropropagation; Regeneration DOI: 10.3329/bjsir.v44i4.4597 Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res. 44(4), 453-456, 2009