Successful micropropagation protocol of Piper methysticum

Abstract

An efficient in vitro propagation of kava (Piper methysticum) was established. Utilizing 15-d-old tender shoots from dormant auxiliary buds as explants, significant induction of vigorous aseptic cluster shoots was achieved in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 0.5 mg dm-3 6-benzyladenine (BA), 0.5 mg dm-3 indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and antibiotics after 30 d. In vitro rooting was achieved at 100 % efficiency in MS medium containing 0.75 to 1.00 mg dm-3 IAA or indole-3-butyric acid and 3 % sucrose. The most robust and long roots were observed in medium with IBA. Moreover, the embryonic callus was induced from petioles in MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg dm-3 BA and 0.1 mg dm-3 IAA, of which 70 % differentiated into shoots in the presence of 1.0 mg dm-3 BA and 0.5 mg dm-3 IAA. © 2008 Institute of Experimental Botany, ASCR.