Effects of Plant Growth Regulators on in vitro Propagation of Echinosophora koreensis Nakai

Abstract

To establish in vitro nodal culture conditions of Echinosophora koreensis Nakai, one of rare and endangered species famous for beautiful flowers in the Korean Peninsula, the influence of plant growth regulators (PGRs) on shooting and rooting from in vitro shoots was investigated. In shoot multiplication, addition of 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) to the half-strength Driver and Kuniyuki's media in the range of 2.22 to 8.88 μM induced 2.5 to 2.7 shoots per axillary bud; and addition of 2.27 μM thidiazuron (TDZ) produced 3.2 shoots, during 4 weeks of culture, while zeatin and isopentenyl adenine (2ip) were not effective on shoot multiplication as observed from several combination treatments of BA with other PGRs. Shoots established were smaller than 2 cm in length, in most of the treatments. while in BA 8.88 μM treatment more than 30% of shoots were longer than 2 cm and shorter than 4 cm. In rooting, naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) from 5.37 to 21.48 μM showed the rooting rate from 40.0 to 62.5%. Indole butyric acid (IBA) addition had little effect on rooting (＜10%), although some roots in IBA-containing media were longer than those in NAA. Micropropagation from axillary buds of nodular explants was applicable and promising to multiplication and conservation of Echinosophora koreensis Nakai.