Development of an efficient in vitro regeneration protocol in fig (Ficus carica L.)

Abstract: The present investigation was undertaken to develop an efficient in vitro regeneration protocol in four fig cultivars viz., Poona Fig, Brown Turkey, Conadria and Deanna. Highest shoot tip establishment was observed in Deanna (100 %), followed by Conadria (79.2 %) and Brown Turkey (76.7 %) on MS medium supplemented with 2.5 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), 0.5 mg/L gibberellic acid (GA₃). Establishment of shoot tips was very poor in cultivar Poona Fig (11.7-13.3 %). Further inoculation of shoots on MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/L indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) resulted in both multiple shooting as well as rooting. Significant number of newly formed shoots were observed in Conadria (4.7) and Deanna (3.8) as against in Brown Turkey (1) and Poona Fig (0.6). Highest root induction was observed in Conadria (73.3 %), followed by Deanna (52.2 %), Brown Turkey (26.7 %) and Poona Fig (24.4 %). These results confirmed that the shoot bud establishment and multiple shoot induction in fig is highly genotype specific. As the response of popular cultivar Poona Fig to shoot tip culture was very poor, tender leaf explants were further used for regeneration study. Optimum regeneration was observed using MS medium supplemented with 4.0 mg/L 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) for callusing; 7 mg/L thidiazuron (TDZ) and 0.25 mg/L ?-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) for shooting and 1.0 mg/L IBA for rooting.