Micropropagation for recovery of Cucumis hystrix

Abstract

A micropropagation protocol that allows for the efficient cloning of C. hystrix was developed using 1 mm shoot-tip explants prepared from plants grown in the greenhouse. Establishment of Stage I cultures was greatest (83%) when shoot tips were cultured in modified MS (Murashige and Skoog, 1962) medium containing (per liter) 30 g sucrose, 0.1 g myo-inositol, and 5 g Agargel plus 1.7 μM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), 0.5 μM kinetin and 0.3 μM gibberillic acid (GA₃) (IKG). Benzyladenine (BA, 5 μM) proved best for Stage II shoot proliferation. Over 35 shoots were obtained per vessel (five shoots per vessel) when explants were cultured in medium containing BA. Less than 10 shoots were obtained per vessel when kinetin (0.5–5 μM) and IKG were used. Stage II cultures established from 1 cm shoot tips obtained from Stage I shoots produced more shoots (1.3-fold) than single node explants. Rooting and plantlet acclimatization were best when shoots greater than 1.5 cm were incubated in MS medium containing 0.5 μM naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). Higher NAA concentrations stimulated rooting but inhibited shoot elongation and reduced the ability of plantlets to survive acclimatization to ambient conditions. Plantlet height influenced acclimatization. Over 72% of plantlets survived acclimatization if they were at least 4.6 cm when transferred to soilless growing medium.