In vitro Growth and Multiplication of Pineapple under Different Duration of Sterilization and Different Concentrations of Benzylaminopurine and Sucrose

Abstract

The optimal duration of sterilization with 2% sodium hypochlorite as well as the optimal concentrations of Benzylaminopurine (BAP) and sucrose for the in vitro culture of MD2 pineapple plants were investigated on MS medium. The research was carried out at the Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory of the University of Cape Coast, Ghana from February to May 2013. The sterilization durations were 10,15, 20 and 25 min For the sucrose treatments, 30, 40,50 and 60 g L-1 were used whilst 2, 4, 6 and 8 mg L-1 BAP were used as hormonal treatments for bud growth and multiplication, with each treatment replicated 50 times. Initial plant materials were screened for viruses using the PCR method. Sterilizing buds for 25 min. With 2% NaOCl destroyed most of the tender buds and affected regeneration whilst those sterilized for 20 min had above 30% regeneration though there was 10% contamination on the expiants. In terms of number of plantlets per expiant, 50 g L-1 sucrose was found to be better (6.5 plants per plantlet) than those on 60 g L-1 sucrose which produced 2.5 plantlets per expiant. The superiority of 50 and 30 g L-1 sucrose was seen in all the parameters measured. Plants that were cultured on 6 mg L-1 BAP had higher mean weights and number of shoots per expiant compared to those on 2 and 8 mg L-1 BAP.