In Vitro Propagation of Ginger ( Zingiber officinale Roscoe )

Abstract

Disease free ginger plantlets were produced through tissue culture. The method for surface sterilization was soaking the emerging buds in distilled water containing 0.2% Tetracycline and 0.2% Metalaxyl for one and half hour before treated with 10% Clorox for 15 minutes followed by 5% Clorox for 10 minutes. Shoot tips were excised from the buds and planted onto MS medium supplemented with 3 mg/l BA. Eighteen percent of the explants were obtained as clean culture. The uncontaminated shoot tips were transferred to MS media supplemented with 5 mg/l BA for shoot growth . Shoot tips were then cultured on MS and 2 g/l Twin Forty ( a commercial fertilizer medium containing N, P₂O₅ and K₂O 30:20:10 respectively) media with and without supplementing plant growth regulators. The supplemented plant growth regulators were 5 mg/l 6-benzylaminopuring ( BA ) in combination with 0.5 mg/l naphthaleneacetic acid ( NAA ) and 4 ml/l Surprise ( a concentrated liquid plant food which contains natural biopolymer with organic acid an inert substances). The purpose of the study was to sort out the sample and cost effective medium and plant growth regulator for in vitro propagation of ginger with high multiplication rate. All the cultures were incubated at 25±2^oC and 12 hours photoperiod. Pseudostems cultured on MS basal medium supplemented with 5 mg/l BA in combination with 0.5 mg/l NAA produced the highest number of shoots with an average of 5.33 shoots per psuedostem after 5 weeks of culture. Similarly length of shoots was highest on the same medium . Twin Forty fertilizer medium without supplementing with any plant growth regulators produced the lowest number of shoots, leaves and length of shoots. The cost of materials per plantlet was lowest on MS and Twin forty fertilizer media supplemented with BA in combination with NAA. The results revealed that MS and Twin Forty media supplemented with plant growth regulators such as BA in combination with NAA are more effective than surprise and without supplementing any plant growth regulators for cost effectiveness and rapid multiplication.