Full Length Research Paper

Influence of auxin and cytokinine on in vitro multiplication of Ficus anastasia

Ameena Abdulla H. S. Al Malki and Khaled M. Suliman Elmeer*

Biotechnology Centre, Ministry of Environment, Doha - Qatar.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: elmeer@gmail.com.

Abbreviations: BAP, 6-Benzyl amino purine; IAA, indole-3-acetic acid; IBA, indole-butyric acid; 2IP, isopentenyl adenine; NAA, naphthalene acetic acid.

Accepted 15 January, 2010

   Abstract

The role of cytokinine and auxin has been found to be effective in shoot multiplication of Ficus anastasia. When the multiplication medium contained 8 mgl-1 of BA with 1 mgl-1 of IBA, a mean of 20 lateral branches per stem was induced which was the best combination recorded. Even though IAA particularly combined with 2ip or kinetin, it had weak shoot multiplication influence resulting in only two lateral shoots which increased to 7 lateral shoots per stem when combined with BA. The plant height was negatively affected by the increase of cytokinin concentration. However, the control plant was more in length than any of the cytokinin treatments among combination with IBA or IAA.

Key words: Ficus Anastasia, multiplication, BA, IBA.