African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 5 (12), pp. 1204-1209, 16 June 2006   

ISSN 1684–5315 © 2006 Academic Journals        

Full Length Research Paper

Enhancement of in vitro micro corm production in Gladiolus using alternative matrix

Subhash K. Roy¹, Gaurab Gangopadhyay¹, Tanoy Bandyopadhyay², Binoy K. Modak, Siraj Datta³ and Kalyan K. Mukherjee¹*

¹Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Botany, Bose Institute, 93/1 APC Road, Calcutta–700 009, West Bengal, India.

²Institute of Genetic Engineering, 30 Thakurhat Road, Kolkata–128, West Bengal, India.

³Haldia Institute of Technology, Haldia, Pin–721657, West Bengal, India.

*Corresponding authors E-mail: kalyan@bosemain.boseinst.ac.in.

Abbreviations: NAA, 1-Napthylacetic acid; BA, 6-Benzylaminopurine; RAPD, Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA; ISSR, Inter Simple Sequence Repeat.

Accepted 26 May 2006

An efficient in vitro protocol for mass propagation of Gladiolus was developed. Basal portions of the innermost leaves responded readily in culture. Ten to fifteen adventitious shoot buds emerged from every responding explant through direct organogenesis, which proliferated in agar-gelled MS basal medium supplemented with NAA (0.002 mM) and BA (0.009 mM). Large number of micro corms was produced in the plantlets on transfer to MS liquid medium supplemented with 176 mM sucrose and 0.002 mM NAA using coir as an alternative matrix. The micro corms grew in size under field condition for two consecutive seasons for flowering. The identical isozymic, RAPD and ISSR profiles of randomly selected micro corms and corms obtained from the field with respect to mother corm population indicated a near full-proof and cost effective micropropagation protocol of Gladiolus.

Key words: alternative matrix, genetic fidelity, Gladiolus, isozyme, ISSR, micro corms, RAPD.