Explants, hormones and sucrose influence in vitro shoot regeneration and rooting of calla lily (Zantedeschia albomaculata L. Spreng.) ‘black magic'

Abstract

Zantedeschia is an important and rapidly expanding cut flower in Kenya today. A protocol for in vitro shoot regeneration of Zantedeschia, using tuber, leaf and shoot primordium explants on Murashige and Skoog (MS) (1962) basal salts, supplemented with 6-benzyalamino purine (BAP) or Kinetin is described. Of the four levels (0, 1, 2, and 4 mg/l) each of BAP and Kinetin, 2 mg/l BAP induced the highest number of shoots per explant (2.5) and the longest shoots (3.7 cm) on shoot explants after four weeks in culture. No response was observed on both leaf and tuber explants on all media tested. A 34-fold shoot multiplication rate was achieved in a culture period of 10 weeks. Rooting was tested using three levels (0, 1, and 2 mg/l) each of naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and indole butyric acid (IBA) in combination with three levels (15, 20 and 30 g/l) of sucrose. The highest (84%) root induction in the shortest time (within one week) occurred in the medium containing 20 g/l sucrose + 1 mg/l IBA. However after four weeks, all shoots (100%) in this medium and the hormone-free media plus 15 to 30 g/l sucrose had rooted. Thus, this research established that shoot explants of Zantedeschia albomaculata cultivar Black Magic can be induced to produce high quality multiple shoots, using MS (1962) basal salts, supplemented with 2 mg/l BAP, 30 g/l sucrose and 0.8% agar. All the shoots can be readily and inexpensively rooted in growth regulator-free medium, containing 15 to 30 g/l sucrose, before transferring plantlets ex vitro.

Journal of Agriculture, Science and Technology Vol. 7(1) 2005: 53-66