In-vitro propagation of Picralima nitida (Stapf) through embryo culture

Abstract

Embryo abortion in wide crosses and seed dormancy has hampered the mass propagation of selected tree germplasm from the wild. An in vitro plant regeneration protocol was successfully established in Picralima nitida (Stapf), a medicinal tropical plant, by culturing excised embryo from mature seeds collected from the wild. Seeds were sterilized and dissected; embryos were raised in vitro in 11 different media compositions comprising pure Murashige and Skoog (MS) and MS media supplemented with varying concentrations of cytokinins labeled A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J and K. Media type was significant on metrical traits of sprouts (P ≤ 0.05). One hundred percent survival of explants were obtained in media J while MS basal medium (K) had the lowest survival of 40%; and mean number of leaves (1.4). Number of roots per sprout, shoot and root length responses were lowest in medium H with values of 0.13, 0.79 and 0.15 cm, respectively. Overall best growth parameters in shoot (3.38 cm) and root lengths (3.75 cm) were obtained in medium F. Mass propagation of P. nitida can be accomplished in MS media supplemented with 0.05 mg/L kinetin and 0.01 mg/L naphthalene acetic acid (NAA).

Keyword: Excised embryo, In vitro culture, sprouts, metrical traits, Picralima nitida

African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(22), pp. 3447-3454