TISSUE CULTURE OF DILLENIA PHILIPPENSIS ROLFE

Abstract: A protocol was established for mass propagation of Dillenia philippinensis Rolfe. by tissue culture using mature seeds as initial explants inoculated in vitro on solid Knudson C with 0.5 mg/L benzyladenine (BA) and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) (T1). Root calli from the cultured seeds were grown in vitro using solid Murashige and Skoog (MS) culture medium with varying concentrations of BA and NAA. Shoot formation was high in 1.0 mg/L BA and NAA (T2) at 140-175 days of culture. Microcuttings were rooted in semi-solid MS medium with different concentrations of NAA and BA. The use of NAA only in semi-solid MS medium at 0.186 mg/L initiated rooting of microcuttings. Plantlets were harvested and transferred to pots with coco coir dust for acclimatization and hardening under greenhouse condition and later grown in the field. Periodic monitoring proved 100% survival of in vitro plantlets under greenhouse and field conditions.

Keywords: Tissue culture, Dillenia philippinensis, in vitro, calli