In Vitro Propagation of Gastrochilus matsuran (Makino) Schltr., an Endangered Epiphytic Orchid

Abstract

Gastrochilus matsuran (Makino) Schltr. (Orchidaceae) populations are declining quickly because of overexploitation, climatic changes, and deforestation; therefore, mass-production protocols are required for this orchid. Natural propagation of this species is often hampered by meager seed germination and slow growth. Thus, our aim was to establish an effective protocol for the in vitro propagation of G. matsuran and reduce the risk of its extinction. We investigated the impacts of culture media, coconut water (CW), and plant hormones (gibberellic acid (GA3), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), and thidiazuron (TDZ)) on asymbiotic germination, multiplication and conversion of protocorms, and plantlet development. Maximal seed germination (93.3%) was achieved on ½ MS medium without vitamins plus 5% CW, 1 µM NAA, and 1.5 µM GA3. Secondary protocorm formation was best achieved on ½ MS medium without vitamins plus 2 µM TDZ. The conversion of protocorms into seedlings was maximized by supplementation with 2 µM IBA or 1 µM NAA. Acclimatized plantlets that exhibited exuberant growth on sphagnum moss were reintroduced to tree trunks in a natural habitat, with a 67% survival rate. This in vitro propagation procedure would be helpful for the mass production and conservation of this rare epiphytic orchid.

Establishment of a Rapid Micropropagation System for Kaempferia parviflora Wall. Ex Baker: Phytochemical Analysis of Leaf Extracts and Evaluation of Biological Activities

“…In vitro micropropagation is an effective and applicable method for preserving biodiversity and mass production of important plants [ 29 , 30 , 31 ]. The surface disinfection of in vivo plant materials is a prerequisite for initiating in vitro plant cultures.…”

Effects of Media composition on Asymbiotic Seed Culture of Vanda tessellata : An Approach to In vitro Conservation

“…No significant difference in the rate of seed germination was observed in various media compositions. Previous studies on asymbiotic seed germination of orchids reported the influence of various culture media on seed germination (Sinha and Roy 2000, Mohanty et al 2012, Pyati 2019, Kang et al 2020). After establishment of aseptic cultures, it was observed that seed germination was initiated approximately after three weeks in each treatment.…”

Response of Phalaenopsis Orchid to Selenium and Bio-Nano-Selenium: In Vitro Rooting and Acclimatization

“…Orchid plants have very small seeds, which it is difficult to germinate in the nature because it does not contain endosperm (Koene et al 2019). The rooting of orchid plants is considered the main obstacle that retard its propagation as reported by several researchers, who described this problem from different sides aiming to improve in vitro rooting and acclimatization of Cattleya orchid (Dewir et al 2015), propagate endangered epiphytic orchid of Gastrochilus matsuran in vitro (Kang et al 2020) and investigate the role of silicon on growth of orchid (Mantovani et al 2018(Mantovani et al , 2020.…”

“…Hence, the micropropagation is considered a viable alternative method for large-scale multiplication and conservation of orchid plants. It is worth mention that the mass propagation of orchids could be achieved via many in vitro techniques such as multiple shoot induction and somatic embryogenesis, adventitious shoot regeneration, extensive large-scale propagation (Kang et al 2020). However, to the best of our knowledge, no information is available on the in vitro propagation of Phalaenopsis orchid under supplementation of MS medium with different concentrations of nano-Se and inorganic Se to overcome the problem of rooting and acclimatization of orchid plants.…”