PROPAGATION OF Portulaca oleracea L. IN LIQUID MEDIUM: IMPLICATIONS OF PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS IN CULTURE

Abstract

Portulaca oleracea L. is a medicinal plant, growing in warm and moist regions of north hemisphere of the world. A protocol for in vitro propagation using nodal shoot segments as explants has been outlined. The percent shoot response with shoot induction rate, 6.4 ± 0.7 shoots per explant, was achieved when cultured on agar-gelled Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 2.0 mg/L of BAP (6-benzylaminopurine). The cultures were amplified by passages on MS medium with 1.0 mg/L each BAP and kinetin (Kn). The best shoot amplification (37.5±0.9 shoots per vessel) was achieved by subculturing of in vitro regenerated shoot clumps on liquid MS medium. Shoots regenerated in vitro by both the processes were rooted on ½ strength of MS medium + 2.0 mg/L of indole-3 butyric acid (IBA). Ninety six percent of the shoots rooted in vitro. The in vitro rooted plantlets were hardened under different regimes of temperature and humidity in the greenhouse. The hardened plantlets were transferred to mixture of soil and manure in polybags.