Micropropagation of Tartary Buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn.) Plants In Vitro

Micropropagation of Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn.) plants was examined by the culture of a reproductive organ, seeds in vitro. In initial culture, multiple shoots were induced from a single shoot derived from a 3 week old seedling. Indevidual shoots excised from multiple shoots produced multiple shoots successively at 6 week intervals when cultures were maintained in modified Murashige and Skoog's medium supplemented with 20 μM BAP, 30 g/l sucrose and 1 g/l Gellan Gum in vitro. In some conditions, protrusions were formed and further developed to axillary buds and shoots. One can calculate that about 258 (152,587,890,625) shoots could be propagated from one shoot per year. Plantlets were regenerated by rooting from single shoots in medium containing 1 μM IBA. After acclimatization, almost 100% of regenerated plants were well established in soil. Application of the present micropropagation procedure to multiply inter-specific hybrid plants between common and Tartary buckwheat plant is discussed.