Micropropagation of Terminalia bellirica Roxb. -: A sericulture and medicinal plant

A protocol for micropropagation of plants via axillary bud proliferation from nodal explants of Terminalia bellirica Roxb. seedlings has been established. Explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog medium with different concentrations of 6-benzyladenine (BA; 4.4, 8.9, 13.3, 17.8, or 22.2 mu M) or kinetin (Kn; 4.6, 9.3, 14.0, 18.6, or 23.2 mu M). Within the range evaluated, the medium containing 13.3 mu M BA showed the highest shoot length (1.9 +/- 0.2 cm) in the primary culture. When separated and transferred to fresh subculture medium with lower levels of BA (2.2, 4.4, 6.6, or 8.9 mu M) or Kn (2.3, 4.6, 6.9, or 9.3 mu M), the nodal segments from individual regenerants (obtained initially from seedling nodes) showed efficient shoot induction at 4.4 mu M BA. Rooting of the shoots was achieved under in vitro conditions on two media tested, i.e., modified Gamborg's (B-5) medium or Woody Plant Medium, both supplemented with 4.9 mu M indole-3-butyric acid. Regenerated plants were established in the greenhouse.