PJB-2004-82
AN ECONOMICAL AND EFFICIENT METHOD FOR MASS PROPAGATION OF IXORA COCCINEA
SAIFULLAH KHAN, MARIAM IFTIKHAR AND BUSHRA SAEED
Abstract
A simple and efficient micropropagation protocol was developed for Ixora coccinea cv. Super King, a beautiful ornamental plant using shoot tip and nodal segments as explants. The explants were cultured in Woody Plant Medium (WPM) supplemented with 0.5 mg/L BAP incubated for 10 weeks initially and subcultured onto fresh medium after every 4 weeks. The proliferating clusters were cultured in WPM basal medium fortified with Peptone (40 mg/l) and 3% sucrose for elongation of shoots, formation of root initials and further proliferation of axillary shoots. Separation and culturing of elongated shoots in fresh medium for 2 to 3 weeks yielded 7 to 8 cm long plantlets which were acclimatized in polytunnels. The most suitable medium for rooting was half-WPM enriched with IBA at a concentration of 0.05 mg/L. An increase in axillary shoot number of up to 10 per shoot were observed. This exponential rise in plants was very encouraging for the development of an efficient commercial micropropagation system.