HIGH FREQUENCY DIRECT SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS FROM THE JUVENILE SHOOT BUDS OF CHLOROPHYTUM BORIVILIANUM SANT. ET FERNAND AND PRODUCTION OF ARTIFICIAL SEEDS

The study presents a protocol for mass propagation of Chlorophytum borivilianum through direct somatic embryogenesis. Direct somatic embryos occurred on the surface of juvenile shoot bud sprouts cultured on  Murashige and Skoog  medium  supplemented with 5 mg L-1 BAP, yielding a high frequency of direct somatic embryos. On the other hand, a much lower concentration of BAP (0.5 mg L-1) led to the proliferation of somatic embryos. The conversion of somatic embryos with high MRN and MRL was favoured on BM.  Encapsulation of somatic embryos (<5 mm) in calcium alginate beads resulted in the formation of well-formed synthetic seeds. Out of the synthetic seeds prepared from the somatic embryos (direct) using three types of gel matrices viz. DW, BM and SM, the ones formed using SM resulted in the highest frequency of germination (86.1%). Seed coat breakage and germination of synthetic seeds with the emergence of the tap roots were visible within 1-2 weeks of culture on basal medium.  The plantlets obtained were successfully hardened on sand-soil-farmyard manure mixture with 85% survival rate. Hardened plantlets developed tubers comparable to the ones obtained in nature grown plants.