INFLUENCE OF PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS ON IN VITRO SHOOT REGENERATION VIA COTYLEDONARY NODE IN CLITORIA TERNATEA L.

The present study was aimed to establish a protocol for multiple shoot induction via the culture of cotyledonary nodes of Clitoria ternatea L., procured from 15 days old aseptic seedlings. Seeds were germinated on MS basal medium supplemented with gibberellic acid (1.0 μM) within one week of inoculation. Cotyledonary node of Clitoria ternatea L. gave rise to multiple shoots (number of shoots varied) when cultured on MS medium fortified with different concentrations of Benzyl adenine (BA) and Kinetin (Kn). The highest rate of shoot multiplication (16.04 ± 0.24) with 90% response was obtained on MS medium containing Benzyl adenine (5.0 μM). Regenerated and elongated shoots were rooted on half strength MS medium fortified with Indole 3-butyric acid (IBA) (2.0 μΜ) after two weeks of sub-culturing. Complete plantlets were then hardened, acclimatized and transplanted to natural conditions, where they exhibited 80% survivability. Hence, from this study, we report for the first time in vitro propagation from cotyledonary nodes collected from in vitro grown seedlings of Clitoria ternatea L. About 10 weeks required from culture initiation to plantlet regeneration. The protocol reported in this study can be used for rapid and large scale propagation of Clitoria ternatea L.