In vitro Mass Clonal Propagation of Spathoglottis plicata Blume

For in vitro clonal propagation of Spathoglottis plicata Blume nodal segments of young shoots were cultured on half strength of MS  with  2% sucrose + 2.0 mg/l BA + 0.5 mg/l NAA + 2 g/l peptone + 15% (v/v) CW + 0.5 g/l AC,  incubated at 24 ± 2ºC under 3000 lux fluorescent light for a 16 hr photoperiod per day. About 19 micro-shoots were induced from the explants within 12 weeks. Subculture of micro-shoots for eight weeks on the same nutrient medium enhanced the number of micro-shoots up to 60. The clumps of the micro-shoots were dissected and cultured on half strength of MS  with 2% sucrose + 2 g/l peptone + 15% (v/v) CW + 0.5 g/l AC + 200 mg/l L-glutamine. The micro-shoot sections elongated to form shoots, and new micro shoots were induced from the base within eight weeks of culture. For plantlet formation the best rooting medium was determined as  half strength of MS  with 2% sucrose + 2 g/l peptone + 15% (v/v) CW + 0.5 g/l AC + 50 g/l banana pulp. After rearing 25 g mixture of urea, TSP and MOP (2 : 1 : 1) were applied per plant at three months intervals. All the regenerated plants blossomed on the third year. Key words: Spathoglottis plicata, Clonal propagation, Acclimation D.O.I. 10.3329/ptcb.v19i2.5432 Plant Tissue Cult. & Biotech. 19(2): 151-160, 2009 (December)