Micropropagation of Gerbera (Black jack) from in vitro culture using a standardized protocol

Gerbera is a valuable ornamental species grown worldwide both through traditional and tissue culture techniques. The most efficient in vitro culture method commonly uses adventitious shoots, capitulum and leaf. In the present investigation, an attempt was made to develop an efficient method to regenerate Gerbera using petiole, leaf and capitulum as explants using various growth regulators. In case of capitulum, formation of callus occurs from receptacle portion in response to 6-Benzyl amino purine (BAP-0.4 mg/lit and 2.0 mg/lit) along with Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA-4.0 mg/lit) and Indol-3-acetic acid (IAA-2.0 mg/lit) respectively. The capitulum showed high rates of callus induction percentage in presence of 6-Benzyl amino purine (2.0 mg/lit) and Indol-3-acetic acid (2.0 mg/lit.). It was observed that the capitulum and leaf explants produce more percentage of calli. Shoot organogenesis was observed on MS media supplemented with Kinetin (Kn-1.0-4.0 mg/lit) and Indol-3-acetic acid (0.1-0.5 mg/lit.). High percentage of shoot formation was 94% on MS media with 2.0 mg/lit Kinetin and 0.1 mg/lit Indol-3-acetic acid. In case of root induction steps amongst Naphthalene acetic acid and 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D), highest root formation (89%) occurs when explants were cultured on medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/lit ofNaphthalene acetic acid.