Efficient Plant Regeneration of <i>Cymbidium aloifolium</i> (L.) Sw., a Threatened Orchid of Nepal through Artificial Seed Technology

Abstract

Artificial seed technology is a method of considerable potential for mass propagation and conservation of rare, endangered and threatened species. In the present investigation, artificial seeds were obtained through encapsulation of three weeks old protocorm (3.0 ± 1.0 mm diameter) of Cymbidium aloifolium with calcium alginate. Artificial seeds were cultured on liquid Murashige and Skoog (MS) or Knudson (Kn C) medium at different strength (×1.0, 0.5, 0.25) and full strength (1.0) of both media supplemented with 0.5 mg/l 6-benzyl aminopurine (BAP) and 0.5 mg/l α -naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). Full strength of MS medium without plant growth regulators was found to be the most favourable condition for efficient plantlet regeneration of C. aloifolium (9.83 shoot and 2.66 roots per culture). The storage potential of artificial seed was tested at 4°C and room temperature (RT, 21°C ± 2°C) for up to 90 days on both media and found 83.33% viability at 4°C storage on MS media. Eighty five percent of plantlets regenerated from artificial seeds culture were successfully hardened in a potting mixture of cocopeat, clay and sphagnum moss (2:1:1). Hence, the methodology can be used for propagation and conservation of C. aloifolium through artificial seed system.