A comparative study on Acorus calamus (Acoraceae) micropropagation and selection of suitable population for cultivation in Iran

Abstract

In addition to various medicinal properties, Acorus calamus (sweet fl ag) is used in health, food, and perfume industries. Since this species is a rare plant in Iran, its propagation and cultivation are of the great importance. The aim of this study was to investigate the eff ects of diff erent plant growth regulators on micropropagation of this plant and to select the appropriate population. The root, the rhizome and the leaf explants of three populations (Arzefon, Pelesk, and Alandan) were cultured on MS medium supplemented with diff erent concentrations of ?-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) for callus induction and plant regeneration. The results showed that only rhizome explant resulted in direct plant regeneration. Among diff erent treatments, the 1 mg/l treatment of BAP and NAA-with the highest mean number of regenerated plants (3.75 0.85), the highest percentage of grown explants (91.6%) and maximum average length of regenerated plants (12.06 0.32 cm)-was the best treatment for regeneration of sweet fl ag. The highest mean number of root (6.6 0.1) was observed in Alandan population in 1 mg/l treatment of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). According to the present study, Alandan population is suitable for cultivation purposes in Iran.