Evaluation for Plant Regeneration Potential of Root Explants in Echinacea purpurea

For evaluation of the plant regeneration potential of root explants, explants of root, leaf and petiole were taken from in vitro grown purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea L. plantlets and cultured on adventitious bud inducing media with different cytokinins and auxins at various concentrations. In most of the cases, the regeneration potential of root explants was much higher than that of leaf ones and similar to that of petiole explants, and a combination of 0.3 mg/L benzyladeine with 0.01 mg/L naphthaleneacetic acid was the most effective combination and concentrations for inducing adventitious bud regeneration. Although the best result of bud regeneration was obtained from culture of petiole explants, a good result in regeneration rate of 100% and a high number of 1.75 buds per explant were obtained from culture of root explants. Buds regenerated from root explants initiated roots and became intact plants readily upon transfer to a medium containing 0.01 mg/L naphthaleneacetic acid. Results of the experiments indicated that root was an ideal explant source for rapid propagation by means of tissue culture in this plant species.