In Vitro Culture Establishment and Shoot Proliferation of Jatropha curcas L

Jatropha curcas seeds (immature, mature, fully mature) were collected and surface sterilized using different concentrations of Clorox (5.25% sodium hypochlorite -NaOCl) with different exposure times followed by dipping in 70% and 100% ethanol for two minutes and flaming. Surface sterilized seeds were inoculated on Murashige and Skoog, McCown's Woody Plant and B5 media with and without incorporating activated charcoal at 1 gL^-1. Shoot tips were excised from in vitro germinated seedlings and cultured on B5 medium containing different combinations of benzylaminopurine, kinetin and naphthaleneacetic acid. Experiments were designed according to a Factorial Completely Randomized Design and replicated 20 times. Data were analyzed using SAS computer software. Surface sterilization of seeds in 100% Clorox for 30 minutes followed by dipping in 100% ethanol for two minutes and flaming over the blue flame of a Bunsen burner recorded 100% aseptic cultures. Mature seeds in B5 medium showed early seed germination and best seedling growth than immature and fully mature seeds in B5, MS and WPM media. Shoots proliferated on B5 medium supplemented with 1 mgL^-1 benzylaminopurine, 1 mgL^-1 Kinetin and 2 mgL^-1 naphthaleneacetic acid resulted the highest number of shoots (6.6 shoots per explant). Supplementing B5 medium with activated charcoal at 1 gL^-1 did not have a significant effect on seed germination and seedling growth.

Key words: Biofuel; Establishment medium; Micropropagation; Proliferation

DOI: 10.4038/tare.v12i2.2794

Tropical Agricultural Research & Extension 12(2): 2009 pp.77-80