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An efficient and rapid tissue culture system is described for multiplication of Piper solmsianum and
P. tuberculatum, two important American species, through shoot tip and nodal explants cultures.
Stem segments with 2-3 nodes (3-4 cm long), taken from eight to ten-month-olds in vitro plantlets,
were placed on 0.6% agar gelled (G) and liquid (L) MS mineral salts plus vitamins, 3% sucrose and
supplemented with 0.02 mg/L IAA + 0.02 mg/L GA3 (G1 or L1), 0.02 mg/L IAA + 0.02 mg/L GA3+
0.02 mg/L BAP (G2 or L2) or 0.02 mg/L IAA + 0.02 mg/L GA3+ 0.05 mg/L BAP (G3 or L3).The best
shoot elongation, shoot proliferation and rooting response of stem segments was observed in liquid
culture medium (L3). An average of 9.1±0.9 cm shoot elongation, 2.4±0.5 shoot proliferation, and
5.5±0.8 nodes formation for P. solmsianum, and 8.6±0.7 cm shoot elongation, 2.1±0.3 shoot
proliferation, and 6.7±0.6 nodes formation for P. tuberculatum were observed after 120 days of
culture. For acclimatization, elongated shoots were separated and rooted in MS medium
supplemented with 0.02 mg/L IAA + 0.02 mg/L GA3. Plantlets, thus developed were established in
several potting mixtures with 30 to 100% of survival rate in both species.
Keywords: Clonal propagation, liquid culture medium, nodal esplants, Piper solmsianum, P. tuberculatum.