In vitro micropropagation of two local taro cultivars for large-scale cultivation

In vitro micropropagation of two local taro cultivars for large-scale cultivation

The application of traditional taro propagation methods for large-scale cultivation would be insufficient to meet the high demand for quality planting materials. Therefore, this study aimed to develop an in vitro micro-propagation technique for two local taro cultivars (cv.), Wangi and Putih. Taro cormels were collected from the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) germplasm (Serdang, Malaysia). Explants were taken from the shoot tip of cormels and initially cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal media for four weeks. The explants were then transferred to different multiplication media supplemented with different types and concentrations of cytokinins such as 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP ) and Thidiazuron (TDZ). Shoot production was quantified after six weeks of culture. The highest mean number of new shoots was produced by the Wangi cultivar on MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/l BAP (2.10 shoots), MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l TDZ (2.18 shoots), and Gamborg B5 medium supplemented with 6.0 mg/l BAP (2.43 shoots). The maximum average number of the Putih cultivar shoots was obtained on MS supplemented with 2.0 mg/l BAP (3.57 shoots). MS basal media was used for root initiation, as it produced an average of 25 roots with an 11-cm length. Various types of substrate mixtures were used during acclimatization. The best acclimatization substrate for the Wangi cultivar was 100% peat soil, whereas the Putih cultivar grew optimally in a combination of peat and perlites at a 1:1 ratio. Taro plantlets require approximately 4 to 6 weeks to acclimatize before they can be transferred to the field.