African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 5 (15), pp. 1397-1404, 3 August 2006   

ISSN 1684–5315 © 2006 Academic Journals        

Full Length Research Paper

Observations on in vitro behaviour of the zygotic axes of fluted pumpkin

S. Adesola Ajayi¹, Patricia Berjak², Joseph I. Kioko², M. Ehsan Dulloo³ and Raymond S. Vodouhe⁴

¹Seed Science Laboratory, Department of Plant Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, 220005 Nigeria.

²School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 4041 South Africa.

³ International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI), Rome, Italy.

⁴IPGRI West and Central Africa, c/o IITA Benin Research Station, Cotonou, Benin.

*Corresponding authors: Fax: +234 (36) 232 401. E-mail: sajayi@oauife.edu.ng.

Accepted 27 June, 2006 

Fluted pumpkin, Telfairia occidentalis Hook. f., is an important leaf and seed vegetable and a local medicinal plant across West Africa. Many biological constraints have become potent threats to the existence of the plant necessitating an urgent need to collect and conserve the existing narrow genetic diversity. However, conservation by seed storage is impossible because the seed is recalcitrant, that is desiccation- and chilling-sensitive. Micropropagation is the only immediate alternative option for the conservation of fluted pumpkin germplasm. In order to facilitate this, the behaviour of excised embryonic axes and shoot tips of fluted pumpkin under in vitro conditions were investigated. Systemic infection of seeds from field led to frequent and high microbial contamination in culture. There was interaction between the type of microbial contamination and the storage environment of seeds prior to excision of the axes. Axes greened under low light intensity and root growth was dependent on the orientation of the axes. In general, zygotic axes of the plant are easy to grow in vitro under a range of nutrient media and culture conditions.

Key words: Fluted pumpkin, embryonic axes, greening, microbial contamination.