AN EFFICIENT IN-VITRO METHOD FOR MASS PROPAGATION OF A WOODY ORNAMENTAL IXORA-COCCINEA L

Various factors that affect culture establishment, shoot growth, proli feration and rooting of Ixora coccinea L., a woody shrub, were studied . Stem cuttings (decapitated shoot, three nodes) were the most suitabl e explants for multiple-shoot proliferation, and when cultured on a wo ody plant medium (WPM) containing 2.5 mu M BA produced axillary shoots which branched repeatedly, yield;nn nn average of 27 shoots per expla nt after 6 weeks in culture. Kinetin, 2-iP, zeatin and thidiazuron all induced multiple-shoot formation, but were less effective than BA. Wh ile the presence of IAA in the multiplication medium was detrimental t o shoot proliferation, shoot growth was not affected by IAA. The produ ction of large amounts of basal callus and vitrification of shoots wer e the major problems to be avoided in proliferating shoot cultures, Ad dition of TIBA to the multiplication medium markedly reduced basal cal lusing, while sealing the culture vessels with a fluorocarbon polymer (tetrafluoroethyleneperfluoroalkyl vinyl ether) film (Neoflon PFA film ) almost completely eliminated vitrification. A reduction in the numbe r of vitrified shoots was also achieved with AVG treatment. Following this protocol of using BA-supplemented WPM and Neoflon film, it would be possible to produce more than 100,000 plants from a single stem cut ting in 1 year.