Curcuma caesia is a perennial herb with high economic importance owing to
its putative medicinal properties. An efficient protocol for the micropropagation
of C. caesia followed by successful acclimatization to soil was developed.
Sterilised rhizome buds were cultured on Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) medium
supplemented with or without BAP (5 mg/litre). The optimum length of rhizomes
to produce microshoots at initial stage cultured on medium supplemented with
5 mg/litre BAP was more than 2 cm. For microshoot propagation, explants were
cultured on medium supplemented with different concentrations and combinations
of BAP (6-benzyl-amino-purine) and NAA (α-naphthalene acetic acid). Explants
cultured on MS basal medium supplemented with 3 mg/litre BAP showed
highest proliferation rate (95%) while average number of microshoots produced
was 9.5. In vitro microshoots that were subcultured on full salt strength of MS
media supplemented with 3 mg/litre BAP and 0.5 mg/litre NAA performed better
in terms of the number of shoots produced as well as rooting. Rooted shoots
transplanted in the glasshouse for hardening showed 95% survival rate.
Improved in vitro propagation of Curcuma caesia, a valuable
medicinal plant