Influence of plant growth regulators (BA, TDZ, 2-iP and NAA) on micropropagation of Aglaonema widuri

Aglaonema widuri is an evergreen and indoor ornamental plant. This study aimed to investigate the effect of some plant growth regulators on micropropagation of A. widuri. A protocol was developed for high frequency in vitro multiplication of A. widuri on the same medium for both shoots and roots induction. This condition decreases time duration and cost of micropropagation. Apical buds as explants were obtained from greenhouse-grown A. widuri and were established on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. Three cytokinins including N6-benzyladenine (BA; 0.00, 3.00, 3.50, and 4.00 mg l-1), 1-phenyl-3-(1,2,3-thiaiazol-5-yl), urea (TDZ; 0.00, 0.50, and 1.00 mg l-1), and N6-(2-isopentenyl) adenine (2-iP; 0.00 and 7.00 mg l-1), along with one auxin [α-naphtalene acetic acid (NAA; 0.00, 0.10, 0.20, 0.30, and 0.40 mg l-1) were studied for their effect on micropropagation of A. widuri. The plantlets were transferred to pots and grown in the greenhouse with a success rate of 95%. BA and NAA treatments as 3.00 mg l-1+ 0.2 mg l-1 recorded the highest shoot proliferation rate (number: 6.00 shoots and length: 7.75 cm per explant). Treatment of 4.00 mg l-1 BA + 0.10 mg l-1 NAA + 0.50 mg l-1 TDZ produced maximum nodes (13.25 per explant). The largest number of leaves (4.25 per explant) was produced in the medium containing 3.50 mg l-1 BA + 0.20 mg l-1 NAA. Maximum root initiation and development (14.25 per explant) was obtained on the medium containing 3.00 mg l-1 BA + 0.20 mg l-1 NAA. The combination of 3.50 mg l-1 BA + 0.20 mg l-1 NAA was found to be the most suitable growth regulator for obtaining the highest root length (8.25 cm per explant).