An Efficient Method for the Propagation of Bougainvillea glabra ‘New River’ (Nyctaginaceae) from In Vitro Stem Segments

Abstract

Bougainvillea, an evergreen climbing shrub of the Nyctaginaceae family, holds significant ornamental, economic, and medicinal value. Bougainvillea glabra ‘New River’ is widely used in landscapes due to its strong adaptability to the environment, abundance of flowers, and frequent flowering. Traditionally, Bougainvillea glabra ‘New River’ cultivation has relied on methods such as cuttings or grafting, with limited research on in vitro tissue culture propagation. This study aimed to optimize the tissue culture system, exploring a combination of plant growth regulators (PGRs) for Bougainvillea regeneration from in vitro stem segments. The Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA), and 1-naphthlcetic acid (NAA) was employed. The optimal sterilization of Bougainvillea stem segments involved a 30 s treatment with 75% alcohol and 10 min with 1% NaClO. The synergistic effect of 0.1 mg·L−1 of NAA and 2.5 mg·L−1 of 6-BA maximized the shoot sprouting frequency, while 2.5 mg·L−1 of 6-BA and 0.1 mg·L−1 of NAA produced the maximum shoots. Furthermore, 1.5 mg·L−1 of IBA and 0.1 mg·L−1 of NAA induced the highest rooting levels. This work demonstrates the successful adaptation of a greenhouse environment to efficiently regenerate plants in vitro from stem segments. This approach allows for the mass production of Bougainvillea glabra ‘New River’.