Search of alternative substratum for agar in plant tissue culture
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Date
2010-01-10
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Abstract
In plant tissue culture, agar has been the most commonly used gelling agent. But the exorbitant price and stress on its sources have necessitated the search for low cost alternatives. In the present study, a successful attempt has been made to standardize low cost plant tissue culture substratum. Different substratum like ‘polyurethane foam disc’, chopped coconut coir, betel nut coir and leaf litter were processed and used as substratum in place of agar and a comparative study was done. Successful asymbiotic immature seed germination and plant regeneration of Cymbidium aloifolium was achieved on different substratum like foam disc and coconut coir. Amongst the different substratum used, optimum germination, regeneration and multiple shoot buds formation was registered on polyurethane foam containing medium followed by agar medium and coconut coir containing media. The results of the present study offer a new possibilities of using low cost raw materials which will reduce production costs considerably and will help in popularizing plant tissue culture techniques.
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Agar, alternative substratum, coconut coir, polyurethane foam
Citation
Current Science, VOL. 98, NO. 1, 10 January 2010