Abstract:
Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) is a traditionally cultivated food crop, propagated using root
shoots or root cuttings. The number of root shoots produced by a tree is limited. Therefore, this
study was conducted with the objective to optimize in vitro establishment of A.altilis for rapid
propagation. Axillary shoots produced after decapitation of the apical shoot of two breadfruit
plants were used as the explants. Recommended dose of fungicide, Deconil chlorotalonil, ™ was
sprayed to the mother plants on the previous day. Twenty shoots each from both plants were
harvested and placed under running tap water for 2 hours and dipped in 0.001% fungicide,
Deconil chlorotalonil™ for three minutes. Ten shoots from each plant were washed in 5%
Clorox™ for 10 minutes and 0.1% HgCl2 for 1 minute followed by rinsing with sterilized distilled
water for 4-5 times. Other ten shoots of each plant (control) were washed in same approach
without 0.1% HgCl2. All explants were established on half strength Murashige & Skoog medium,
supplemented with 1 mg/L benzyl amino purine, 1mg/L Kinetin, 250mg/L, Augmentin™
(antibiotic) with 3% sugar at pH 5.8 in culture tubes. Culture medium was sterilized using low
cost see sap (CSUP) method as an alternative to the auto claving. After one month of
establishment, the explants sterilized with 0.1% mercuric chloride showed 100%and 60%
contamination free cultures in plant 2 and plant 1, respectively. All the explants, surface
sterilized without mercuric chloride, contaminated and died within 1-2 weeks. Explants from
plant 2 only produced new shoots. Browning in culture medium was successfully controlled
using weekly sub culturing with 2g/L activated charcoal added to the medium. In conclusion,
axillary shoots emerged after decapitation of the A. atilis grown in the plant house sprayed with
Deconil chlorotalonil and surface sterilized with 0.1% mercuric chloride along with 10% Clorox
can establish in vitro successfully.
