Plant regeneration studies of Jatropha curcas using induced embryogenic callus from cotyledon explants

Abstract

A plant regeneration system for Jatropha curcas, a biofuel- producing plant, was established from the induced embryogenic callus. Cotyledon explants cultured on single auxin media were able to form callus. However, only the callus induced from cotyledon explants using Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 0.8 mg l^-1 dicamba was embryogenic. The somatic embryos were suitable to be proliferated using phytohormone- free woody plant medium (WPM). Two somatic embryo regeneration methods were studied and the direct somatic embryos plant regeneration method using the media containing 0.3 mg l^-1 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 0.4 mg l^-1 gibberellic acid (GA₃) was more effective, 83.3 and 73.33% plant regeneration, respectively. The other method that needed to mature the somatic embryos prior to plant regeneration from the phytohormone- free MS medium was not preferred, less than 40% plant regeneration. In conclusion, an efficient plant regeneration system for J. curcas was established through somatic embryogenesis.

Keywords: Jatropha curcas , cotyledons, callus , somatic embryogenesis , plant regeneration