Abstract
Saffron’s triploidy and male sterility result in generative limitations that highly impact its regeneration. Therefore, its natural reproduction is exclusively vegetative through progeny corms. The present work aims to improve in vitro saffron bud sprouting and adventitious shoot regeneration through direct organogenesis using different combinations of plant growth regulators, and then investigate novel conditions for mini-corm production. Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) containing 1 mg/L of 6-benzyl aminopurine (BAP) and α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) resulted in the highest bud sprouting rate (96.67%) and growth length (8.87 cm ± 0.27 cm). The best adventitious shoot initiation rate of 80% with 10.2 ± 0.23 shoots per explant was obtained using 0.5 mg/L NAA and 2.75 mg/L BAP. Remarkably, the critical step of mini-corm regeneration was improved using ½ MS, 6% sucrose, 1 mg/L NAA, and dark incubation. The corms produced weighed 7.9 ± 0.8 g, and 93.80% developed roots with an average of 14.9 ± 3.1 roots per corm. Improving the critical stages of saffron tissue culture is essential to meet the urgent need for its large-scale and low-cost regeneration.
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The authors appreciate Souktana Cooperative and Dar Azaafarane’s supply of plant materials.
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This work is supported by the Hassan II Academy of Sciences and Technologies (SafranVal project) and the National Center for Scientific and Technical Research (PPR/2015/33 project), Morocco.
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Lagram, K., El Merzougui, S., Boudadi, I. et al. In vitro shoot formation and enrooted mini-corm production by direct organogenesis in saffron (crocus sativus L.). Vegetos (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42535-023-00639-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42535-023-00639-9