Efficient Method for In Vitro Plant Regeneration in Bambusa nutans Wall. Ex Munro Using Nodal Explants from Field-Grown Culms

A rapid and reproducible in vitro regeneration protocol for Bambusa nutans a multipurpose bamboo species has been developed using nodal explants collected from the lateral branches of field grown tree. Nodal explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium fortified with different concentrations (0.5 - 2.5 mg/l) of BAP or KIN for shoot bud initiation. The highest frequency of shoot regeneration (83.5%) was noticed on MS medium containing 2.0 mg/l BAP with 11.62 shoots/culture followed by BAP (2.0 mg/l) and KIN (0.5 mg/l) combination with 8.0 shoots/culture. Of the two cytokinins tested, BAP was found to be best for highest frequency of shoot bud regeneration. The elongated shoots were excised and cultured on MS medium supplemented with different concentrations of IBA (0.5-5.0 mg/l), where the maximum percent of rooting (78.3%) was obtained on MS medium augmented with 4.0 mg/l IBA. In vitro regenerated plants were transferred to plastic cups containing sterile sand and soil in the ratio (2:1) and placed under controlled conditions. After hardening, the plantlets were initially kept in the green house for 15 days and they were established in the field conditions with 85% survival rate. The present regeneration protocol could be used for large scale production of Bambusa nutans in the near future.