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In-vitro propagation of multi-use enset [Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman] landraces using bulla as gelling agents

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Abstract

Enset is a perennial, multipurpose crop that is cultivated and consumed in Ethiopia. Nowadays, its traditional propagation systems face a challenge due to biotic and abiotic factors. Thus, shoot tip culture can be very advantageous for the quick multiplication of healthy plantlets to secure the conservation as well as propagation of the enset crop. Therefore, this study was designed to develop an efficient micro-propagation protocol for three popular multi-use enset genotypes by using locally available bulla and agar as gelling agents separately. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications in a factorial arrangement. About 1.0 cm long shoot tips were cultured on MS medium supplemented with 1 to 6 mg/l of BAP separately or in combination with IAA. It was found that the 8% (w/v) enset bulla was ideal and provided significant figures in the number and length of shoots and roots per shoot and also early initiation of shoots and roots when compared with 0.6% (w/v) agar-gelled MS media. MS medium containing 2.0–3.0 mg/l BAP was the appropriate concentration for in-vitro shoot induction and growth. The presence of 5.0 mg/l BAP alone, and 5.0 mg/l BAP in combination with 1.0 mg/l IAA was suitable for multiple shoot induction, whereas, 2.0 mg/l IBA and 1.0 mg/NAA separately were found to be the optimum concentration for root induction and development. Thus, bulla in addition to its alternative gelling potential with low cost has potential play an essential role in the rapid production and conservation of enset with desirable traits and disease-free plantlets for farmers.

Key message

Enset is an important food security and multipurpose crop. Bulla, which is extracted from enset, is an alternative gelling agent that is more efficient in the in vitro propagation of three different multi-use enset genotypes when compared to agar gelled medium.

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Data Availability

The data used to support this study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

AC:

Activated charcoal

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

AOAC:

Association of Official Analytical Chemists

BAP:

6-Benzylaminopurine

CRD:

Completely randomized design

DMRT:

Duncan’s multiple range test

IAA:

Indole − 3-acetic acid

IBA:

Indole-3-butric acid

MS:

Murashige and Skoog

NAA:

α-Naphthalene acetic acid

NaOCl:

Sodium hypochlorite

PGR:

Plant growth regulator

SAS:

Statistical analysis system

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Acknowledgements

The authors express their gratitude to the Department of Microbial, Cellular, and Molecular Biology, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, under whose Ph.D. program the research was undertaken. Special thanks go to the Institutes of Biotechnology at Addis Ababa University where the experiment was done. The authors also acknowledge Dr. Muluken Birara for his helpful comments during the experimental activity and the farmers who kindly provided the starting material for this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Tesfaye Dilebo & Tileye Feyissa

  2. Institutes of Biotechnology, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Tileye Feyissa

  3. Department of Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Zemede Asfaw

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  1. Tesfaye Dilebo
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Contributions

TD: conducted conception and designing the study, data collection, material preparation, conducted the experiments, and wrote the first and final draft of the manuscript. TF: designed the experiments, providing materials, supervision, and manuscript revision. ZA: supervision and manuscript revision. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Tesfaye Dilebo.

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Communicated by Ranjith Pathirana.

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Dilebo, T., Feyissa, T. & Asfaw, Z. In-vitro propagation of multi-use enset [Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman] landraces using bulla as gelling agents. Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 155, 693–708 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-023-02590-8

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