Abstract

Clonal propagation of Eucalyptus camaldulensis through stem cuttings is limited by a range of problems such as low root frequency, loss of rooting competence and poor rooting quality which can be overcome through plant tissue culture. Hence, efficient method of plantlets regeneration was developed for the species with a view to enhance its propagation. Shoot tips and nodal segments of E. camaldulensis were inoculated on MS media supplemented with various growth regulators, BAP (0, 0.5 to 2mg/L) for shoot regeneration and NAA (0, 0.5 to 2mg/L) for root induction. Results indicated that, the medium without BAP (control) gave significantly higher shoot length (2.7, 3.4cm) while plantlets of other media supplemented with BAP (0.5 to 2mg/L) had comparable shoot lengths at 4 and 8 Weeks After Inoculation (WAI) respectively. Similarly, highest but comparable average number of leaves (17.6) were obtained from control while, highest number of adventitious shoots (5.2) obtained, were from medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L BAP which was not significantly different from other treatments and control (3.2) at 8 WAI. The effect of NAA on root induction showed that, MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L NAA, produced highest average number of roots (8.6 and 9.8 /plantlets) and longest root length (0.74 and 2.53 cm) which were significantly different (P ≤ 0.05) from control and other media supplemented with NAA at 2 and 4 WAI respectively.

Key Words: Adventitious shoots, Clonal propagation, Root induction, Shoot regeneration