TISSUE CULTURE AND RAPID PROPAGATION OF AMORPHOPHALLUS KONJAC K. KOCH

The tubers of two genotypes of Amorphophallus albus Liu et Chen (Md and Ms) and two genotypes of A. konjac K. Koch (CMH and CCDY) were used as explants and cultured on MS media supplemented with different combinations of 6-BA and NAA for callus induction, adventitious bud differentiation and plantlet rooting. The culture effect seemed independent of the species of konjac and was mainly related to the combination of plant hormones. The optimum combination of hormones for callus induction was BA 1.0 mg/L + NAA 0.5 mg/L for CMH and Md and BA 1.0 mg/L + NAA 1.0 mg/L for CDDY and Ms. The optimum hormone combination for adventitious bud differentiation and rapid propagation was BA 1.0 mg/L + NAA 0.5 mg/L for A. konjac and BA 2.0 mg/L + NAA 0.5 mg/L for A. albus The combination NAA 0.5 mg/L + IBA 0.1 mg/L gave satisfactory results of plantlet rooting. Callus induction and adventitious bud differentiation carried out in the dark or under disperse light greatly reduced browning of the explants. Callus tubes of 10 mm x 10 mm x 10 mm gave desirable results in subculture and tissues with three adventitious buds were satisfactory explants for rapid multiplication. Addition of vitamin C or citric acid (polyphenol oxidase inhibitors) or the adsorbent active carbon gave poor results for inhibiting browning.