IN-VITRO CLONAL PROPAGATION OF AN AROMATIC MEDICINAL HERB OCIMUM-BASILICUM L. (SWEET BASIL) BY AXILLARY SHOOT PROLIFERATION

An efficient protocol for in vitro propagation of an aromatic and medi cinal herb Ocimum basilicum L. (sweet basil) through axillary shoot pr oliferation from nodal explants, collected from field-grown plants, is described. High frequency bud break and maximum number of axillary sh oot formation was induced in the nodal explants on Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium (MS) containing N-6-benzyladenine (BA). The nodal expla nts required the presence of BA at a higher concentration (1.0 mg.l(-1 ), 4.4 mu M) at the initial stage of bud break; however, further growt h and proliferation required transfer to a medium containing BA at a r elatively low concentration (0.25 mg.l(-1), 1.1 mu M). Gibberellic aci d (GA(3)) at 0.4 mg.l(-1) (1.2 mu M) added to the medium along with BA (1.0 mg.l(-1), 4.4 mu M) markedly enhanced the frequency of bud break . The shoot clumps that were maintained on the proliferating medium fo r longer durations, developed inflorescences and flowered in vitro. Th e shoots formed in vitro were rooted on half-strength MS supplemented with 1.0 mg.l(-1) (5.0 mu M) indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). Rooted plant lets were successfully acclimated in vermi-compost inside a growth cha mber and eventually established in soil. All regenerated plants were i dentical to the donor plants with respect to vegetative and floral mor phology.