In Vitro Culture Establishment and Shoot Proliferation of Jatropha curcus L

Abstract

Jatropha curcus seeds (immature, mature and fully matured) were collected and surface sterilized using different concentrations of clorox (5.25% Sodium Hypochlorite -NaOCl) with different exposure time durations followed by 70% and 100% ethanol for two minutes. Seeds were established in MS (Murashige and Skoog, 1962), WPM (Lloyd and McCown, 1980) and B5 (Gamberg et al 1968) medium with and without using lg/L activated charcoal. Shoot tips were excised from in vitro germinated seedlings and cultured on B5 media containing different combinations of Benzyl Amino Purine (BAP), Kinetin (Kin) and Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA). Experiments were designed according to Completely Randomized Design (CRD) and replicated 20 times. Data were analyzed using SAS computer software. Results revealed that 100% NaOCl for 30 minutes exposure time followed by 100% alcohol for two minutes exposure time recorded 100% non contamination. Mature seeds in B5 medium showed early seed germination and best seedling growth than immature and fully mature seeds in both MS and WPM media. Shoots proliferated on B5 medium containing BAP, Kin and NAA resulting highest number of shoots (6.6 shoots per explant). Therefore J. curcus seeds can be successfully surface sterilized using commercially available clorox and ethanol and they can be germinated in vitro in B5 medium. Shoot tips excised from seedlings can be proliferated using BAP, Kin and NAA.