To induce variation through chromosome doubling in Gerbera jamesonii Bolus cv. Sciella, twoweek-old in vitro grown shoots were treated with various concentrations of colchicine (0.01, 0.05, 0.10, 0.50 or 1% w/v) for 2, 4 or 8 h. Treated shoots were then cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 8.8 lM 6-benzyladenine (BA) and 155 lM adenine sulphate (ADS), and subsequently transferred to fresh MS medium containing 2.85 lM indole-3 acetic acid (IAA) for rooting. When shoots were treated with 0.1% colchicine for 8 h, 64% of recovered plantlets were tetraploid. Ploidy of plantlets was confirmed by flow cytometry, stomatal analysis, and morphological characters. Tetraploid plantlets displayed slower proliferation along with higher vigor and thickened broad leaves. Moreover, tetraploid plants developed larger flowers, longer stalks, and have improved vase-life, all contributing to higher ornamental value of gerbera.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

A novel protocol for enhanced in vitro multiple shoot induction was developed for Anthurium andreanum Lind. First shoot bud was induced within a week in MS supplemented with 0.1 mg/l NAA and 0.25 mg/l BAP where maximum six buds from single apical bud explant appeared within next 20 days. For multiple shoot proliferation MS with 0.5 mg/l BAP and 60 mg/l adenine sulphate (ADS) proved to be best resulting ten multiple shoots per inoculated shoot bud within 50 days. As many as 11 roots per plantlet were produced in 27 days using MS with 0.5 mg/l IAA and 2 g/l activated charcoal. Autoclaved sand and intermittent water spraying optimized the primary hardening period of 15 days and then earthen pots filled with sand, soil, charcoal and coconut fibre ensured the recovery of 51 well hardened plantlets out of 60 in next 30 days showing 85% success. The genetic identity of both ex vitro hardened clones and in vitro sustained clones with their mother plant were tested using 10 ISSR primers, displayed no polymorphism.