Role of growth regulators in meristem culture and production of virus-free sugarcane germplasm

Abstract

The effects of growth regulators on callus induction and direct shoot induction which derived from meristem culture in length of 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 mm were studied in 12 cultivars of sugarcane. Calli induction in all cultivars were occurred from meristem after culturing onto solid Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) medium containing 3 mg/l 2,4-0 and 10% coconut water (by volume) for 2 months, while direct shoots occurrence was induced from each meristem (0.5 - 0.7 mm in length) in liquid MS medium containing 0.2 mg/l benzyladenine (BA) and 0.02 mg/l napthalene acetic acid (NAA). Calli could differentiate into shoots and developed to plantlets on MS media at reduced concentration of 2, 4-D to 1 mg/l for 2 months of culture. The plantlets were cultured on solid MS medium containing 0.08 mg/l adenine sulfate, 2 mg/l kinetin, 1 mg/l indole butyric acid (IBA) and 10% coconut water for tiller stimulation. An average of 11 shoots/ plantlet were obtained in 2 months. About 80 - 100% of sugarcane plantlets derived from meristem culture of each sugarcane cultivar were free of sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) as determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Plantlets were transferred to MS media containing 4.5% sucrose for root induction and transplanting into soil. Mass propagation and virus-free sugarcane germplasm can be produced by these methods.