Direct induction of protocorm-like bodies from shoot tips, plantlet formation, and clonal fidelity analysis in Anthurium andreanum cv. CanCan

Protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) were induced directly at high frequency from wounded surface of Anthurium andreanum cv. CanCan shoot tip-ends, used as explants. In order to obtain PLB directly, the influence of different types and concentrations of cytokinins were evaluated. Amid the cytokinins, N-6-(a dagger(2)-isopentenyl)-adenine (2-iP) at a concentration of 15 mu M was most effective in inducing PLB whereby similar to 98 (97.8) % of explants induced PLB with an average of 120 PLBs per shoot tip within 50 days of culture. Stereomicroscopic observation meticulously revealed the sequential changes from initiation to maturation of PLB gradually forming shoot apical meristem, shoot primordia and leaf primordia. Mature PLBs showed significant shoot proliferation (98.4 %) in media containing 10 mu M 6-furfurylaminopurine forming 17 shoots per PLB within 30 days. The inclusion of activated charcoal (AC) in media containing auxin had promotive effect on rooting whereby 5 mu M indole-3-butyric acid plus 500 mu M AC resulted in highest number and length of roots. Successfully acclimatized plants, subjected to random amplified polymorphic DNA assessment for genetic fidelity, did not show any variation. Thus, this complete study has successfully outlined a rapid, high frequency direct induction of PLB of Anthurium from shoot tips inclusive of shoot proliferation, rooting and acclimatization.