Standardization of tissue culture protocol for turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) Cv. Salem

Abstract

Turmeric Cv. Salem is the popular cultivar of turmeric growing in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. The demand for planting of this cultivar is huge and tissue culture technology ensures the mass production of a large quantity of disease free true-to-type plants from a single parent plant. The present study was carried during the year 2017-18 to standardize the tissue culture protocol for turmeric to obtain aseptic tissue culture plantlets. Surface sterilization of the explants was effectively achieved by HgCl2 treatment with 0.10% for 15 minutes as it resulted in highest culture establishment (59.99%) with minimum bacterial and fungal contamination. Among the different treatments used for shoot proliferation, MS medium fortified with BAP 2mg/l and IAA 0.2mg/l gave significantly maximum response (94.44%). Maximum in vitro rooting (91.17%) were observed with ½ strength MS medium containing IBA 2mg/l. The rooted plantlets were hardened for 25 days under polytunnel with different media.