High Frequency Multiple Shoot Formation of Pygmy Groundcherry (Physalis minima): An Endangered Medicinal Plant.

Nodal explants from field grown plants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium + 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 or 8.0 μM of N6-benzyladenine (BA) or Kinetin (Kin) alone or in combination with indole-3-butyric acid (IBA: 0.5, 1.0 or 2.0 μM) for micropropagation of Physalis minima. The highest (78.3%) number (6.0) and long axillary shoots (3.3 cm) were produced at 0.5 μM BA after 10 days. Nodal explants from these in vitro shoots were further cultured that resulted in 1.6 mean shoots with BA. In subsequent experiment, shoot tips from formerly sub-cultured shoots on BA (4.0 μM) + IBA (2.0 μM) formed 40 shoots with 6.1 cm length on MS liquid basal medium, after 20 days. Shoots were rooted on 1/2 MS + IBA or α- naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) at 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0 or 2.0 μM alone or in combinations. The highest rooting (100%) with more than 50 roots per shoot were obtained at 1.0 μM IBA after 15 days. Rooted shoots were acclimatized for 4 weeks in greenhouse with 90% survival. Efficient and simple method using liquid basal medium has been established for high frequency multiple shoot formation with fair survival rate in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]