Standardising Axenic Pomegranate Explant Processing For Micropropagation

Research Article
Manasa Satheesh and Sridharan T.B
DOI: 
xxx-xxxxx-xxxx
Subject: 
science
KeyWords: 
Bhagwa, MS, WPM, explants, regeneration, ANOVA
Abstract: 

Bhagwa variety pomegranate (Punicagranatum) is a very common commercial crop and favorite fruit crop. In spite of this, production of pomegranate is very low in India as farmers are facing serious threat of diseases attacking pomegranate. Farmers are not confident to step forward and overcome this issue as diseases are capable of affecting the whole farm in less time. Alternative option to overcome the issue and increase the productivity is Micropropagation. It helps in mass production in less time; produces disease free, pest free plant. In this study, the best axenic explant of the pomegranate was standardized by using one way ANOVA, Student-Newman-Keuls Multiple Comparisons Tests by comparison with other explants. Best survival percentage of 82% was found in Young nodal explants using 10% Sodium hypochlorite treatment for about 3 minutes followed by 78% using 0.1% Mercuric chloride treatment for 10 min. Shoot regeneration was observed in MS medium in all the explants rather in McCown’sWPM medium. Highest regeneration response was 82% in Apical shoot tips followed by 63% in young nodal explants and 21% in mature nodal explants.