Plant regeneration via somatic embryogenesis in farfugium japonicum

Abstract

The leaf and petiole segments of Farfugium japonicum were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) or Chu N6 media with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) alone or combinations of auxins and cytokinins for direct or indirect somatic embryogenesis. Petiole expiants produced yellowish embryogenic callus within 7 weeks on MS medium with 2,4-D alone. Petiole segments were a better source for embryogenic callus than leaf expiants. The frequency of embryogwenic callus and number of somatic embryos per expiant were significantly high on the medium containing 2–5 ìM 2,4-D compared to other concentrations. Direct somatic embryogenesis was observed from petiole segments on N6 medium containing 5ìM a-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and 10 ìM kinetin. When these petiole segments with embryos were transferred on MS medium containing 1 ìM NAA and 2 ìM kinetin, clusters of secondary embryos were formed abundantly on the base of the primary somatic embryos. These clusters subsequently produced numerous plantlets on the MS medium without plant growth regulators. The survival rate of regenerated plants was 97% after 1 month of transplantation, and they were morphologically similar to the original plant. © 2006 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.