In vitro Regeneration of Solanecio biafrae Through Direct Shoot Organogenesis

Abstract

Solanecio biafrae (Olive & Hierne) C. Jeffrey (Asteraceae) is a tropical, underutilized African indigenous vegetable, highly nutritious and medicinal. It grows as undercover and is mostly collected in tree plantations such as cocoa and kola. Its propagation is seldom carried out by vines, but its climbing habit poses a problem for farmers, which leads to the application of herbicide to control their spread. In order to ascertain its potential for genetic improvement, the protocol for direct shoot organogenesis of S. biafrae was developed. Leaf lamina, petiole, and leaf with petiole explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with varying concentrations of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) alone and in combination with Indole butyric acid (IBA). Direct shoot organogenesis was obtained from the cut end of leaf lamina and petiole explants as well from the petiolar region of the leaf with petiole explant. The results obtained from this study show the potential of these explants of S. biafrae to serve as culture material for its micropropagation, genetic improvement via transgenesis. Hence, this regeneration protocol of S. biafrae can be coupled to its genetic transformation to improve species with shorter internode and more leaves to enhance the structure of tropical vegetation.