Effect of 6-benzyl amino purine on the multiplication ability of shoots of various sizes of porang ( Amorphophallus muelleri Blume) bulbils

Abstract

Porang plant is very prospective and developed because it has high economic value. The high demand for exports has resulted in increased needs for seeds. Tissue culture using plant regulator 6-Benzyl Amino Purine (BAP) has been widely used for seed propagation. This study aimed to examine the effect of adding BAP on the multiplication of shoots at different bulbil weights. Bulbils (corm leaf) were used as explants and cultured on Murashige and Skoog medium containing BAP (according to treatment), 30 g L-1 sucrose, and 2.5 g L-1 phytagel. This study used two factors Completely Randomized Design with five replications. The first factor was concentrations of BAP i.e., 0.0, 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 mg L-1 and second factor was bulbil weight i.e., 0.25, 0.50 and 1.00 g. There was significant interaction at the number of buds and shoots, but not for other parameters. The results showed that bulbil weight had a significant effect on the number of buds, shoots, and plantlet height, while the concentration of BAP had a significant effect on all parameters. Bulbil size < 1 gram can reproduce seeds with the highest multiplication ability when 3 mg L-1 BAP was given.