Effect of nodal positions, seasonal variations, shoot clump and growth regulators on micropropagation of commercially important bamboo, Bambusa nutans Wall. ex. Munro

An efficient protocol for in vitro micropropagation of Bambusa nutans Wall. ex. Munro has been described. Nodal explants obtained from 1½-year-old field-grown culms of B. nutans produced up to 7.0 multiple shoots per explant on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with 6- benzylaminopurine (BAP, 1.0 mg/L). Continuous shoot proliferation up to 11.33 shoots was achieved by sub-culturing shoot clumps (4 shoots/cluster) in BAP (0.5 mg/L) and 0.1 mg/l α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) fortified medium every 4 weeks. 85% rooting was recorded on 2.0 mg/L NAA supplemented medium after 30 to 35 days of culture period. Micropropagated plantlets of B. nutans showed 70% survivability during the hardening stage. After hardening, rooted plantlets were successfully transferred to the soil and exhibited 80% survivability and normal growth. Plantlets cultivated in field condition achieved 95% survivability. Seed explants were also used for in vitro culture establishment of B. nutans on different combination of MS medium. Keywords: Bambusa nutans , micropropagation, nodal explants, seed explants. African Journal of Biotechnology , Vol 13(19), 1961-1972