Synthetic Seed Production in Chirita zeylanica as a Conservation Method

Abstract

Chirita zeylanica is an endemic flowering herb in Sri Lanka that possesses a greater potential of being an ornamental pot plant. Currently, the plant is subjected to extinction due to collecting plants from its natural habitats. Therefore, there should be a reliable conservation method and also, there should be an efficient way to produce large number of plants in a short period of time. In the present study, production of synthetic seeds was attempted from this species. The structure of the beads and the percentage of germination from encapsulated shoot tips were influenced by the concentration of sodium alginate and the growth regulators used. It was found that among the concentrations tested, 4%°sodium alginate produced optimal beads with firm, clear, round and uniform size, and were convenient for handling. It was also observed that the beads produced with 4% sodium alginate and, growth regulator combination of 2.0 mg/L BAP and 0.2 mg/L NAA showed the highest percentage of germination (80%) after 4 weeks from the establishment. The shoot tips of the beads remained green after storage at 4 °C for a period of 8 weeks. However, all the beads turned to brown color after 4 weeks from the establishment. The findings suggested that the encapsulation method for micro-shoots could be used as a conservation method for Chirita zeylanica after developing a procedure to acclimatize the beads for growth under room temperature before establishment.