Propagation of Endangered Thermopsis turcica Tan, Vural & Küçüködük Using Conventional and In Vitro Techniques

Authors: SÜLEYMAN CENKÇİ, MEHMET TEMEL, MUSTAFA KARGIOĞLU, SERGUN DAYAN

Abstract: This report deals with the successful clonal propagation of endangered T. turcica using rhizome cuttings and epicotyl explants. Rhizome cuttings were treated with \alpha-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) or indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) before planting for vegetative multiplication. Rhizome cuttings pretreated with NAA (10 mg/L) were both rooted and sprouted (66.6 percent) after 100 days. Application of NAA induced callus and adventitious root formation in epicotyl explants and 6-benzyladenine (BA) induced production of microshoots. Low levels of NAA (0.5-1 \muM) together with BA promoted shoot initiation and development. The highest regeneration rate (86.6 percent), with a mean number of shoots (3.05) and a mean length of shoots (2.3 cm) per epicotyl, was achieved at 10 µM BA and 0.5 \muM NAA. About 83 percent of in vitro regenerated shoots rooted on a ½ Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 0.3 \muM NAA. In vitro plantlets were morphologically normal and a uniform chromosome complement of 2n = 18 was detected in root tips. The study demonstrated that both conventional and in vitro techniques could be useful for large scale multiplication and propagation of this endangered plant species.

Keywords: Conservation, rhizome cuttings, epicotyl, propagation, Thermopsis turcica

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